Cohort 52 is a platform for emerging voices from the Applied Art & Design program at Sierra College in Northern California. Cohort 52 is facilitated by Assistant Professor Vincent Pacheco.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hi, my name is Aubrey Talley. I’m currently in my 2nd year at Sierra College, working towards an AA in Graphic Design. I plan on transferring to Long Beach by the end of next year. For the time being, I am a server at Zocalo. There is nothing I love more than my cat. And that about sums it up for me.
How much experience do you have with collage?
I just began collaging maybe 1-2 months ago. This class was my introduction so I am an extreme beginner.
Collage artists tend to be picky when it comes to their source material. Can you talk about your approach for selecting your images and/or publications?
For this work, I used several different books, magazines, photographs, etc. I just went to Goodwill and found material with cool images and went from there.
Were there any large themes you intended to explore or unpack before you began with this series of work? Did you stay on theme, or did things change as you began physically cutting and pasting images?
When I was brainstorming ideas, I just ran with what I was familiar with. Pretty much any issue in the world that resonated with me. I dramatized some of them, but I stayed true to my initial vision for the most part. If anything, I just began to find a sense of style in my work.
How did your background and life experiences inform your collages?
I tend to have a darker outlook when it comes to the world, so dealing with this prompt I knew my collages would be dark. I feel like that was translated through my work, as it all sticks to a theme regarding the negative emotions/experiences the world has to offer.
What was your environment and set-up like when making the work? Did you listen to music? Did you work in isolation, or were you surrounded by distraction? Do you think this influenced the work you made?
I did my work on my bedroom floor. I had all my cutouts laid out surrounding myself. I just mixed and matched the pieces until I found something I liked and thought had meaning. I worked alone in my room with no distractions, other than some music to motivate me. I was listening to $uicideboy$ during my biggest collage streak, and I believe that may have had a minor influence.
Scissors or X-Acto?
I used both, along with just the tearing of paper. It depends on what I need for the message. Some things needed a cleaner cut. While some needed the effect of a tear.
Was there anything unexpected that emerged while creating your work? Any new epiphanies?
The only unexpected finding was the sort of style I found. I feel like I found an understanding of collages and how I would like my collages to look. A lot of this project was trial and error and I believe if I were to do it all over with the slight experience I have now, it would look completely different.
Looking at your work again, has your understanding of your collages changed over time? Has any hidden meaning emerged?
From the beginning to now, it has changed a lot. I initially overthought collages and believed they had to be super intricate and chaotic. But as I fell into my style I realized less can be more. It doesn’t matter how much is on your page, but rather the feeling it evokes.
Exhibition Catalog designed by Aubrey Talley
