Contemplative Collage

Perception is a pre-conscious process that assigns value. The art of contemplation is intended to either calm or challenge our normal perceptions of the world, to get us beyond the pre-conscious habit. We can use photography towards this aim in a number of ways. One way that I have developed for myself is the use of collage. We can then experiment with our perceptions:

1. We can take photographs of things we usually give little value.
2. We can place things in unusual relation to each other - value often takes a metaphorical form, something of greater value is placed higher, for example.
3. We can make a composition of photographs that between them create a new image or impression. The abstract eye, that is a natural result of a meditative restraint or composure of the senses, is one that can step back and get a different, less focussed impression, helping the viewer to do likewise. The objects can become like the strokes of a brush in a painting.
4. We can include images of change, of impermanence, both as images of impermanent objects or by creating a sense of motion within the composition. This further acts to prevent the mind forming a fixed perception or the perception of a fixed object.
5. We take pictures of functional objects outside of their functional context, hence we go beyond what is merely practical.

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In all these ways we can create news meanings from things, a meaning of a more abstract nature and therefore freer of conceptual thought. Then, if we are looking with the right intention, we will quieten the mind.
We can finally put a number of collages together in a sequence according to colour and texture rather than subject matter to make a different kind of connection between objects. The gallery below presents some collages of my own. You may find these work for you in the ways I have described or perhaps they will inspire you to create your own. I found the exercise particularly useful to transform my perception of objects I saw or used very regularly to bring the mundane back to life.