Darren Daz Cox asks:
Hey Liz, what collage techniques do you use in your work?
When I think about collage, I usually think about a magazine photo collage where you cut out words or pictures from magazines and glue them onto a separate page. In art therapy, often times collage is used as a way to approach clients who may be resistant to art making or clients who may need some extra structure (due to their developmental level or perhaps due to an anxiety provoking subject matter that is the focus of the collage).
The art therapist may choose to add even more structure to the collage making experience by having pre-cut collage pics and words available to the client. Sometimes these pictures can be divided up into separate categories in their respective folders or containers. Some categories or themes may include people, food, words, animals, nature, fashion items, etc… The downside to this is that the art therapist may be intentionally or unintentionally censoring images or words, or may be overlooking certain images or symbols because of countertransference issues, personal value issues, personal comfort level, etc… In other instances, the art therapist may want to encourage autonomy and self-expression by allowing the clients to search through magazines themselves for pictures or words that may stand out to them. The downside to this is that many times the clients get involved in reading articles or looking at the magazine rather than focus on art making.
The art therapist may want to provide a directive for the client, which can help structure the session and guide the client with a theme or suggestion of what to base the collage on. Other times the art therapist may choose to refrain from giving a directive, allowing the client to make whatever he/she desires. This decision is based upon, for example, what the therapeutic goals may be, as well as the client’s resistance to art making.
Along with magazines and paper, other useful materials for collage include scissors, decoupage or matte medium, paint brushes and glue sticks.
Once the collage is completed I often like to ask the clients I work with to title their work before we begin processing the piece.
I hope this answers your question. Let me know if I could provide you with any more info.