Some Assembly Required: Collage Culture in Post-War America

August 30 – November 2, 2003

Dorothy Jenkins and Emily S. Macey Galleries

This exhibition explores what is perhaps the dominant aesthetic of the 20th century—collage. Curated and organized by the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York, Some Assembly Required examines the history of collage as it has unfolded in the United States in the fifty-plus years since the end of World War II. From its beginnings in Cubism around 1912, when the term described the act of gluing bits of newspaper and other everyday objects onto the surface of paintings, collage has evolved to include works that combine found objects, photographs, and images from popular media. In addition to revolutionizing the way artists make art, collage can be appreciated for the way it has accompanied and fostered some of the most momentous shifts in art and society during the post-war period. Some Assembly Required consists of 45 works done in various types of media including paper, photomontage, sculptural assemblage, digital art and video. The selected works vary from traditional to cutting-edge with a wide diversity of conceptual aims.