Cutbacks

When most people think of collage they picture small pieces of paper and other materials that are overlapped and pasted together to create an image. However in Cutbacks New Zealand artist Steve Lovett has done just the opposite. Instead of building up his collage layer by physical layer he has digitally composed one out of found photographs and then cut into the final print, completely removing an entire section. Lovett has taken away a key part of the image, leaving the viewer to ponder who the person-shaped hole represents and what became of the cut-out. Through the action of creating negative space Lovett explores the loss of information that occurs when photographs are removed from their original contexts and reproduced in new ways. Lovett’s collage is one of 111 that were gifted to Puke Ariki as part of the 15th International Collage Exchange from March 2012 – March 2013. The exchange is organised each year by Taranaki artist Dale Copeland and any adult can enter. Each artist submits thirteen collages, nominating one for sale in Taranaki and another to form part of a collection that is gifted to an art gallery or museum. The remaining artworks are shared among the participating artists.