Essay

When looked at by an individual who had no background knowledge about this project, the three collages by Michelle would seem unrelated. Interpretation is key to the analysis of a work, but, due to the subjectivity of its nature, can be unreliable. Each collage depicts an image that is distinct from the next. While one looks like it came from the pages of my high school geometry book, another looks like it was from the pages of a recent National Geographic. The titles of her pieces are the word obtuse, but I was convinced that her word was angles until I read them. It is interesting to see the various ways of conveying a word, but exactly what that word it is, is hard to decipher.

The first collage brings back haunting images of math class, plastered with a variety of triangles and angles. What is interesting is the placement of the shapes. There appears to be an order to the position of the triangles. They seem to be moving on an angle, playing off of the large angles in the background. Due to this, I immediately thought that her word had something to do with angles. Although color has been incorporated, it does not seem to play a huge role in the piece. Triangles in the foreground and background draw the viewer’s attention away from the orange color. Her next collage, however, through me off a little.

Colorful and bright, the second dictionary collage reminds me of an IMAX movie I saw on a field trip that explored various elements in nature. With this collage, there are no defined angles like the previous attempt. With this piece, the lack of clarity in some of the images that are blurry or cast by shadows, made me move my attention to the defined images on the outer edges. The whale’s tail sticking out of the water, the bird in flight, the freshly bloomed flower, and the beautiful butterfly are open and stretched out. There are no literal or implied boundaries for these objects. The bird’s wings seem as if they could reach all the way across the screen if that is what it desired. While that is physically impossible, the way it soars knocks down that notion. I assumed that the openness represented angles and how far they could stretch. The final collage further supports my theory.

Wrought with technological and cultural icons such as laptops and Snoopy, this final piece is also filled with angles. Both the cell-phone and laptop are open on an angle and also positioned on an angle like the shapes from the first collage. The textbook is opened so far that the spine is bending backwards. The addition of levers and speedometer also provide more angles. Even Snoopy’s head is tilted at an angle. What I never realized was that these angles were specific types.

Now, after accidentally stumbling upon the word, I can see where the obtuse plays in. All of the angles are overstretched, beyond ninety degrees. Even the angles in the background of the first collage mark that, being 100+ degrees. This proves the article on interpretation. I saw what I wanted to see, and ignored main clues.