Collages – John Stezaker

Collages – John Stezaker
Image: 'Muse' by John Stezaker

John Stezaker’s Collages is a unique experiment in dislocation and disassociation.

Inspired by surrealism, the works consist of yellowing Hollywood head shots overlaid with early 20th Century postcards and the results are striking.

Sharp lines and oblique contours signify the disconnect between two visual worlds. They contrast and merge in an odd collision which shatters ideas of gender, form, and the natural world.

In Muse, the artist unites a male and female to produce a hybrid human representation that matches in facial features yet questions traditional portrayals. Its zig-zag edges and diagonal perspective further twist the conventions of the familiar photograph.

The subversion continues with Path I which shows a generic audience staring at an imposed image of green pathways and trees producing a strange three-dimensional effect.

With its unusual combination of shapes, colours, and themes, this exhibition is a provocative discourse about accepted artistic expression and social norms. (LR)

Until Sep 6, Anna Schwartz Gallery, Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Darlington, free, annaschwartzgallery.com

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