Kollázs

Kollázs, or collage, is an artistic technique in which a new image or composition is created by assembling and attaching disparate elements—such as cut paper, photographs, fabric, newspaper, tickets, or found objects—onto a backing surface. The result is a layered work in which the individual components retain some of their original identity while contributing to a new whole. The term collage is derived from the French word coller, to glue, and was popularized by Georges Braque around 1912.

In its early phase, collage emerged within the modernist movements of the early 20th century, especially among the Cubists, who introduced pasted materials to paintings. It quickly broadened to Dada, Surrealism, and Constructivism, and later to photomontage, where multiple photographs are combined to create a single image for artistic or political effect. Photomontage became a key instrument for artists like John Heartfield and Hannah Höch.

Applications and styles vary widely: some collages emphasize graphic precision using printed media, others foreground tactile textures with cloth, wallpaper, or scraps; some are static, others integrate drawing or painting directly on the surface. In the late 20th century and today, collage has diversified with digital tools, enabling virtual collage from scanned materials and image editing software, while maintaining its core practice of material juxtaposition.

Kollázs remains an influential technique across visual arts, design, and education, valued for its immediacy, materiality, and potential for layered meaning.