How did I find out about Ángela? Well, my love for cats and she made kitten pack postcards which lead me to go deeper into her collage account as well. It's just as simple as that which leads us to this week's feature is Ángela, @angelascollages.
Starting off with a little bit about Ángela García (she/her/ella) as she shares what she's been enjoying recently "I've been listening to a lot of Harry Nilsson and Bob Dylan lately, 1960s music is my favorite." I still need to check out Harry Nilsson I've been binging The Drums and the new local project called Afterlife Dating Life.
Ángela continues by naming a couple of her favorite locals as she says "too many to name!!! @spidspill @damarizzd @hiviscosity @rettavelle @mariefromnowon @mass_nerder @_shariflores @edgargonzelaz" I've heard of a couple of these and I follow and enjoy the work of the artists I know. Just by looking at the names I can imagine their work/listen to it as well in my head if that makes sense. Not by the work they create, but their art style/sounds are distinguishable to me. I'll look into the ones I don't know!
We've heard from many artists explain their first beginnings and how their interest in creating artwork grew to where they are now, but when it comes to collages how did Ángela get interested in them? Well, she says "'I've always felt that I'm good at being able to take separate items and place them all together in a cohesive arrangement. I never experimented much with drawing, and I felt that making collages was a more tactile experience that I would be better at. The first collage that I ever made was for my friend's birthday. I barely had any collage materials at the time, so lots of the images in that collage came from old newspapers and magazines." I would be so hyped to receive a collage as a gift! There's just something about receiving handmade items that just hit differently, but then again everything is just the thought that counts. Overall that does sound like an experience, but seeing the creative process would be very interesting as well. Even so, newspapers and magazines can bring a lot of material to the table. I have not made a collage since I was in elementary school, but I recall it being fun.
From Ángela's first collage coming from limited resources and now creating multiple collages what can be said about the materials she uses "I use a lot of old books, specifically cookbooks, art, nature, and coffee table books. I also love to use vintage National Geographic magazines." These can provide a variety of images and pages of images to be used, but what if it was digital? With photoshop being a tool we can use could that be something she would be willing to use as she says "I've never experimented with digital collage, I liked the hands-on approach of analog collage way more." To each their own and of course even if she enjoys "the hands-on approach" they are still collages worth looking at which you find on her Instagram page @angelascollages. There has been a couple that have caught my attention such as Removal of Agency. It just spoke to me in ways I can't describe due to my recent readings. Looking forward to the next collage!
Looking at the collages I can see certain themes, but how does that come about? Does it depend on the materials she has on hand or? She explains by saying "A lot of the recent collages and zines that I've made have been political. I usually feel that I can respond best to bad news by making art about it. Sometimes the work that I make depends heavily on what material I have. There are still themes of sexuality, gender identity, and climate change that I want to explore, but I haven't found the right books yet. The collages that I have already made seek to challenge themes of nationalism, racism, femininity, sexism, and immigration." Even without her telling us the theme behind her work we could definitely see what she's trying to say with what she has created. As they say "a picture is a thousand words" but in this case a collage.
Of course, it isn't just slapping together images from a magazine or books, but what really is the creative process behind Ángela's work she explains "I usually start by looking through the books and pictures that I already have. Usually, I will find a single phrase, quote, or image that will inspire me to make an entire collage around it. Once I start collecting other items to pair with the first that I found, a collage is born from there. I used to make all my collages on construction paper, but now I usually use a piece of cardboard as my starting backboard. It's much more sturdy that way." Usually, when I think of creating a collage it's by using images I think look cool or just think will fit within the space given, but "I will find a single phrase...that will inspire me to make an entire collage around it" sounds like the better move when it comes to creating it. Having that "phrase" rather than the image and basing images around the other images could be more of hassle or rather maybe more difficult? I would have to try these different ways of doing a collage to have a better understanding of it as well. This will certainly be fun.
From the many collages you'll find on her Instagram account which would is her favorite for says to which she said "my favorite collage that I've made is 'Large-Flowered Selfheal.' It's an homage to the strength and resiliency of women. I included pictures of women of all races and ethnicities from around the world; They're all centered around a close-up picture of a plant called the "Large-Flowered Selfheal," which fit perfectly into this act of self-healing that women often take part in. This was also the first collage that I ever made in black and white, so I feel there's this stripped-down, austere nature that accompanies it. Another reason that I love this collage is because it was made after a dry spell that I had been having. I hadn't made any collages in about a month, and I was starting to doubt my ability to consistently make good work; however, when I finished that one, I knew it was easily one of the best collages that I had made up until then." Looking at "Large-flowered Selfheal" I can't put to words what I see due to looking at everything and taking it in. Looking at the phrase first and seeing every image it holds. I'll leave the image here for others to witness as well and take in everything it holds, but just re-reading the word "gaze" as I look upon the collage that really has me thinking.
From the numerous collages created does she take inspiration from any sort of collage artist/creators? She goes on to say "There aren't any specific artists that I take direct inspirations from. If anything, I try and learn from previous works that I've done and try and to branch out, experiment, and improve from there." Taking the time to grown and learn with your wok is the best along with experimenting for sure! I love the fact that she has stated that and leaves wondering what we will see next.
She doesn't do just collages, but custom postcards as well, but did that come about? From collages to creating these customs as she says "Since a lot of my collage material comes from vintage magazines, there are a lot of great vintage advertisements that are included in them. I really love vintage graphic design, illustration, and photography, so I didn't want to collage over these great advertisement images. I collect postcards myself, and thought: 'These images and advertisements would be amazing to send to friends or even keep as a mini print to pin on your wall!!' From there, I began cutting out several templates for these postcards, and finally grouped them together into 'packs' based on their content and style." Honestly, they are LEGIT. I have no need to look for a card at the store no more or if someone wants something "vintage" they have that possibility now. I send out a lot of mail to my pen pals and I feel that these cards hold something special for sure to the person receiving it.
Ángela shares her thoughts on the local scene in the valley "The valley doesn't get a lot of publicity because most of the cities within it are smaller, but I think there are some absolutely amazing creatives both working and coming out of here. Living in a border region is almost like living in limbo. It's been said so many times before, but sometimes it truly does feel like you don't belong to either side that your border region sits on. In that, I think the stories, perspectives, and creative work that comes out of here is an invaluable piece of not only Valley history, but national history. I hope the scene continues to grow, and I hope the creatives that live here continue painting our region with the beautiful colors of their work."
She shares this extra thought as well "I'm always grateful to live and work in a region that is full of amazing artists that support and work alongside each other. I am also always grateful for those who support and share my work! Those who want to keep up with my work can follow my instagram @angelascollages !!"
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