Constructing Pictorial Spaces with Collage, Re-Photography, and Kitsch
Excerpt:
Kelda Van Patten creates disorienting pictorial spaces that utilize still life arrangements, collage, and re-photography to examine the ways in which the artificial world of kitsch stands in for the natural world. Her layered process—combining collage, drawing, and re-photography—shifts perceptions of reality and artifice in playful and unexpected ways. Before digitalization, much of her work is completed in front of a medium-format camera, emphasizing her hands-on approach to image-making.
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Your process involves layers of collage, drawing, and re-photography before digitalization. Can you walk us through how you develop one of your disorienting pictorial compositions?
I often begin with still life compositions, starting with a backdrop that may be an 80s bedsheet, colored backdrop paper, or a piece of found velvet fabric. The arrangement typically includes a mix of images and objects, such as natural or artificial houseplants, fruit, flowers, and various household items. My process incorporates materials like masking tape, construction paper, googly eyes, gem stickers, along with cut-up images—either my own photographs that I re-photograph or found imagery. To add depth and texture to these arrangements, I sometimes layer them with a piece of plexiglass on which I draw with glass markers. I like how these marks evoke the feel of digital manipulation, reminiscent of Photoshop or iPhone markup, while remaining analog in execution. This method encourages me to slow down and engage more deeply with the creative process.
Once I have arranged everything, I photograph these still life setups with a medium-format camera, experimenting with flash and colored gels. After photographing the initial images, I may cut and re-photograph printed versions or integrate digital drawing and Photoshop marks, blurring the line between the physical and digital realms. I am constantly searching for a sense of surprise or confusion in my work—elements that prompt viewers to ponder how the images were constructed. I love creating spaces that invite inquiry into the interplay between reality and imagination.
