Catie O'Leary: A Natural History of Collage

California native Catie O’Leary works in collage. Collage techniques have been around for thousands of years, but Cubist artists Braque and Picasso are often attributed with coining the word in the early twentieth century from the French coller, meaning “to glue.” The art movements of Cubism, Dada, and Surrealism embraced collage, establishing it as an integral part of modern art. It has continued to be a prominent aspect of contemporary art. 

O’Leary was influenced by the work of Jess Collins (known simply as Jess) whose collages inspired her to abandon all other forms of art and dedicate herself to collage. She takes original engravings from antique books and creates intricate and whimsical landscapes woven together by layering meticulously cut out pieces of paper. Her work blends the contemporary and the classical, weaving together traditional imagery in an inventive and innovative manner to examine the relationship between the natural and human worlds.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.