During Monday’s class, I was struck by the singular absurdity of doing arts and crafts in a 200 level course at an elite liberal arts school. I am certainly not complaining – I rather enjoyed the activity, and felt that it had merit in illustrating the technique of collage, and perhaps also the value of it. I would like to issue a disclaimer that the following text is not a commentary on Ernst’s artistic ability, but rather, my own. Collage is enjoyable because it makes the creative process much more accessible. It is less synthesis than combination. The raw materials already exist and are left to the invention of the collage maker to cut and layer them in interesting ways. It relies on the direction of the maker, but not necessarily his or her ability to draw or paint.
Perhaps some of the power of Ernst’s Une Semaine de Bonte derives from it’s nature as a collage compilation. If we accept that he is making socio-political critiques, then the knowledge that the content of the book came from existing publications of the time period becomes especially significant. He is twisting and manipulating the culture of the time to make a statement about that same culture. In this way, he is making an argument that is more poignant than if his pictures were hand-drawn – none of it is pure invention, just interpretation.
Really good point about interpretation when it comes to collages. Some may say that collages are not very artistic because the materials are taken from other works, but I beg to differ. Part of the fun about the collage is being able to take what already exists and turn it into something that has yet to be imagined. In terms of Ernst, he creates surreal images by combining pictures of humans and animals, which I find to be both fascinating and extremely original.