Frayed Collage

Elizabeth Few is a multi-media artist, living and working in Richmond, Virginia. Her work extends to collage, painting, fashion and costume design, interior design and film. Artist Statement: My collages are constructed using fragments of materials to create abstract compositions full of rich color, texture, depth, and radiance. They are executed to convey feeling through the chemistry among each component and the resulting energy and movement of the work as a whole. I begin by dissecting commercial images or deconstructing items of personal significance; I strip them of their identity and make use of their visual appeal. I strive to transform the ephemeral qualities to possibly reveal the eternal, while developing something that I recognize as possessing more truth. I establish structures that serve as a conversion of emotions such as fear, confusion, joy, sadness, peace, and righteousness into forms that, for me, express them or contain them. If there exists an innate struggle to strike a balance or accept connection between the self and everything that exists beyond it, then my artwork is an attempt at balance and connection; a place for me to make peace with my sources, other human beings, history, the environment, the unknown and ultimately with myself. I endeavor through my materials and technique to throw up borders, express chaos, create order, manifest courage, and connect with nature, while asking questions, seeking other layers and attempting to find direction. I use collage as a way to confront and study these questions, build a bridge to my internal world, connect that with the world around me, and ultimately to evoke a dream of hope.