Keywords
collage, mixed media, photography, contemporary art, maximalism
Disciplines
Art and Design | Arts and Humanities
Mentor
Stafford Smith, M.F.A.
Abstract
My collection, Overflowing: A Visual Memoir, is a series of mixed-media collages bound into a book, depicting formative experiences that have shaped who I am during my time at Grand Valley State University. They are an autobiographical exploration of self-discovery, expression, gratitude, and turbulence. I fell in love with the art of collage after creating a piece inspired by Hanna Höch for my History of Photography class. Since then, I have continued making collages. I haven’t gotten to take many art classes at Grand Valley, but creating has always been a constant in my life. So, I wanted to culminate my college experience with a collection of art. From navigating grief to remembering why I love to learn, I wouldn’t be the person I am today without these experiences. I combined a mix of physical and online print sources, stationery materials, photographs of my own, and different objects to create a colorful, thoughtful, maximalist collection of collages that reflect my most formative experiences. The collages are busy, exciting, and imperfect, which is how the past four years of my life have felt.
ScholarWorks Citation
Gonzalez, Margaret, "Overflowing: A Visual Memoir" (2025). Honors Projects. 970.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/honorsprojects/970
