Collage art is a technique where artists create artwork by assembling and adhering various materials like paper, fabric, or objects onto a surface, resulting in a new, unified composition. Collage artists use a wide range of materials, including paper, photographs, fabric, paint, found objects, and more. The process involves selecting materials, cutting or tearing them into desired shapes, arranging them, and then affixing them to a supporting surface like paper, canvas, or wood. Collage describes both the technique and the resulting work of art in which pieces of paper, photographs, fabric and other ephemera are arranged and stuck down onto a supporting surface. The term "collage" comes from the French word "coller," meaning "to glue" or "to stick together".

Collage emerged as a recognized art form in the early 20th century, with artists like Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) and Georges Braque (1882-1963) pioneering its use in Cubist circles. Dadaists like Max Ernst (1891-1976) invented a form of collage known as photomontage, which incorporates photographs, sometimes along with other collaged and painted elements. Salvador Dali (1904-1989) was a famed surrealist artist who worked in collage along with other mediums. Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968) was one of the most prolific artists of Dadaism, producing numerous infamous paintings, collages and sculptures. He is also associated with Cubism, Futurism, and early conceptual art. Post Abstract-Expressionism, Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008) moved well beyond the painterly image with his combines, assemblages that could appear hanging on the wall or on the floor. All these artists, and many more, celebrated collage and inspired artists to this day.

This black and white image by Tim Reardon, And the Crowd Cheered On, is a collage from 2024. It is made up primarily of three bands of images: people clapping and waving, upside down airplanes, and an arched ceiling. — Tim Reardon, And the Crowd Cheered On, 2024

Chicago has a rich history of collage art, with examples spanning from early portrait collages to modern installations, and a vibrant community of contemporary collage artists. The folk artist Henry Darger (1892-1973) displayed his art collection, including collages, in his Chicago apartment, using readily available materials. Other well-known collagists include Ronald Ahlstrom (1922-2012), Ralph Arnold (1928-2006), Tim Reardon (b. 1954), and Kerry James Marshall (b. 1955).

Currently, the Chicago Collage Community is a group of collage artists in the Chicagoland area, connecting the local collage art scene, with upcoming events , workshops and even a magazine celebrating collage art.

Chicago and Collage Art

Book Review: Alternative Spaces - A History in Chicago