Cut Out Collage

We caught up with Catherine Rogers a.k.a Cut Out Collage to talk all things collage on Thursday over Zoom. We've included the sound bite of the conversation below. You read a shortened version below!

“Someone called me collage lady the other day, I thought I’ll take that.”

We met up with Catherine through what is currently the best way to socialise; Zoom. We first met Catherine back in December. She had featured in the Common Zine and was looking for spaces to run her workshops. (We are still waiting to host one but are very excited to do so). Just three months on and she has established Cut Out Collage locally as a go to for all things collage. 

“I started a business in Liverpool in October last year for running accessible workshop spaces, trying to get the medium of collage out into people lives as it's super easy to connect with. It's a really good started place for being creative or continuing alongside practice you already have. I just love talking about collage, making it, helping people to connect to it.”

It felt important to us to understand how Catherine got started as a professional artist. It's no easy task to support yourself as self employed and especially as an artist. So we began by asking about her journey to the point she's at now.

“I did a fine art degree, well it wasn’t a fine art degree. It was Wimbledon College of Arts, it was Technical art and special effects, and we got taught a lot of making things. So woodwork, metalwork, sculpture, that kind of thing. I made an installation piece for the first time. It blew my mind how much I loved building this separate world and just filling it with stuff and most of it was paper, and rips of books and paintings on top and it became this like collage little, well it wasn’t little, it was very big, it became a collage that I kind of lived in during the year of making my degree. Something that I realised, was that my artistic practice is very important to me but when I graduated I had no concept of what to do with that to make money. I felt really overwhelmed by being an artist and what that’d mean. After that I did a bit of time in the corporate world, which taught me a lot but I was fairly stifling as a creative person not being able to use it. So I left, took a big pay cut and went to work with people in supported living. Doing different roles which meant I could be with people in a real way. I started thinking, art is very therapeutic. I need to bring this into my work here with people." 

This felt like the lightbulb moment "I can combine these two sides of myself, I like really meeting people where they are and making stuff and it really evolved from there". She proudly says, “I’ve got to the place now where I feel like running workshops and providing spaces for people to be creative, thats the one, thats what I’ve been looking for all that time.”

Like all of us during the Pandemic we've had to make changes to the way we work and for Catherine it's no different.  A Digital presence from most places has increased, we all have had to adapt during this time. But what we feel is great is that mostly it's just been people wanting to support one another and maintain as much a sense of community as is possible. Catherine has been developing collage packs and online tutorials. 
"I've been fairly amazed by how many people have just paid it forward. They say things like we know you'll be around later in the year. So I've been touched by that. People at home have been asking what do you think of this (collage), and i've been chatting about that. It's really cool to see that this community is still collaging."


So what are Catherine Tips for Collaging?


"For the most part people ask me if things (collage) are good. So the first thing I say, is there isn't rules, there is definitely techniques and ways of doing certain styles. If you like it just continue with it, dont put it down. If somethings not right about it, its probably not finished. You maybe just need to set it to the side. 
Also people are quite scared of minimalist collage. I really like it when you find 2 or 3 images, that I say they speak to each other. I was like this before lockdown. They just work together. People often ask, 'do you think this is too bare', I ask them 'do you want to add anything to it?', if they say no, then its fine. People assume collage needs to be the full page right to edges like when you're in 6th form arts class and its all your dreams and feelings, I mean it can be, but I doesn't always have to be.
It sounds a bit silly but there are certain ways you can tear paper to make it look textured.


Recommended artists. 


- Hannah Höch
- Anselm Kiefer
-Caro Ma

For the full interview take a listen on soundcloud. Get your collages sent over to us too. conveniencegallery@outlook.com

We'll work on the audio for next time so its balanced for all participants too. 

Write up by Andy.

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