: Would a minimalist collage still be a collage? There is a collage making competition In my school. I want to make a collage using minimal design principles. Will such a collage even be considered

@Si6392903

Actually it is a great question!

A part of the definition given on the wikipedia says:


where the artwork is made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole.


That should be a intrinsec part of it. Where you can diferentiate several sources as, oh well... different.



We can think that a digital composition where you actually use diferent sources, like a background, a cloudy sky, a subject blend into a new image could fit the definition, but if you can not see the diferent parts, it is not a collage.

But some questions rises, for example, can this image be called a collage? cdn.visualnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/large.jpg (source: cdn.visualnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/large.jpg)
I am not sure. It suits the definition. But is it?



Here is another example: a1.dspnimg.com/data/g/1665551605954_Sx0fHHqo_g.jpg
(Source: a1.dspnimg.com/data/g/1665551605954_Sx0fHHqo_g.jpg)
In my opinion this is a verey minimal collage, but it is a collage.



And yet another case.


(Source: payload.cargocollective.com/1/4/142545/1909873/1920s-matt2-vers2_copy.jpg)
Here are clearly diferent elements but what if they are more tightly related, so they are percived as a hole, and not the parts?

Is this picasso a collage?
sfcitizen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Picasso-Head-of-a-Bull.jpg


And another one from NatGeo: ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/03/age-of-man/interactive/img/1pop.jpg Source: ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/03/age-of-man/interactive/img/1pop.jpg

So, yet another question. Where a collage ends, and starts a mosaic, a texture, a composition?



Randomness and numbers

Probably some degree of randomness should be present, yes. On the old days you could not resize a pice of text or a photo, but the overall work can be controlled.

And yet another question: Is there a minimum number of diferent elements necesary to be called a collage? Probably 3.

In the first image I posted, if we add something else I would clearly calle it a collage.

On the image of the letter "A" It has 2 textures and a shape of a letter. I can se a collage there.



My specific answer would be... If you want to push the definition, push it, but the technique should be clear.

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@Karen819

You are definitely challenging the norms with your suggestion, but if there is nothing explicit about the design style that goes against the assignment, there should be no reason to avoid it.

You may (or definitely will!) stand out if your collage is very minimal, which is good as long as you're standing out for the right reason. Collages tend to have 0% white space, all of the area is filled, which tends to give them the busy look you mention. If you can conform to the general rules while pushing the boundaries, you may find yourself justly rewarded.

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