"My work reflects our society's obsession with beauty through advertising - and the endless images that bombard us daily. It is a purposeful intermix of images derived from advertising and thousands of incongruent pieces - images and text - from advertising that arrives through my mailbox. Assembled like a mosaic; the paper tiles create an entirely new image - an eclectic and tactile portrait reworked in my imagination, utilizing materials that would otherwise go to waste."

- Sandhi Schimmel Gold

Papier Collés

• (French: pasted paper) is a painting technique and type of collage recognized by Art Historians since 1912. The term defines the difference between a collage made of several kinds of materials, and a collage made of only paper glued onto a painting.
• Sandhi’s Papier collé mosaics feature hand-cut and hand-applied pieces of assorted paper: greeting cards, advertising ephemera, calendars, packaging and other decorative papers onto an original painting in much the same way as a collage, except the shape of the pasted pieces are objects themselves - individual mosaic tiles. Each “tile” featuring unique typography, texture or imagery of their own. Sandhi may embellish work with paint, ink or other materials.

• In this way, Sandhi builds on a foundation created by Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Juan Gris and Henri Matisse. This is a technique as old as time and has become a genuine and undeniable art form in the last century.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Here are the essentials:

• Hand work:  Absolutely no technology, programs or dies are used to create my art. It is hand-painted, hand-cut, hand-applied, hand-embellished, and hand-finished. Tens of thousands of decisions are made.
• Unique: developed over a number of years; combining my love for color, portraiture, contemporary art and mosaic.
• Green: I create without waste. I upcycle junk mail, calendars, post cards, photos, old greeting cards, tags, etc... it's all paper waste I collect. I use only water-based, acid-free, non-toxic materials to create my work. It is completely eco-friendly. I reuse and repurpose canvas, frames, etc. whenever possible.

 

Inspiration:

• In Venice, I saw a portrait made of tiny fragments of colorful glass. It was too heavy to carry by train, so I decided to make one "just like it" when I got home. After trial & error, I decided to use ephemera instead of glass or tile.
• It would be too simple to say I am inspired by Byzantine mosaics, Louis Comfort Tiffany or Antonio Gaudi... it's both the assemblage and the color in the materials that moves me. I am process driven as well as image-centric....Figurative work has always inspired me – I tend to focus on the female. My vision is to create beautiful yet thought-provoking images of beauty; in vibrant color.
• Deeper Meanings: Where can beauty be found in a culture of conspicuous consumption? I believe we are an aggregate of tiny bits: who we are and where we've been - or who we want or pretend to be.  Each piece expresses a mood – a calculated effect - high drama, serenity, sexuality or humor.

Publicity:

• All images in this gallery are subject to copyrights of S A Schimmel Gold and are protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) and by the Berne Convention. Reproduction, storage or transmittal by any means, of any image on this web site, whole or in part, is prohibited without express prior written permission.

• Original art from this site may not be downloaded, reproduced or scanned for any reason. If you wish to publish or reproduce the materials in any physical or digital form or use them for any commercial purpose, including display or Web page use, you must obtain prior written permission from the artist.

• Original art is priced without frames and most are sold without frames.

• Purchasing: please contact the gallery where the piece is shown [check the "art for sale" page to find out where it is]. If it is in possession of the artist, please email or call.

• Media: please contact the artist. Interviews may be conducted by telephone or in person by appointment.

• Commissions: Please click on the "Services" page for more info.

• Mailing List: To receive email updates of new images and show schedules please sign up on the event page.

• Upcycling -

  was coined by William McDonaugh and Michael Braugart in Cradle to Cradle. Upcycling is the practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use or value.

• Recycle - Eco Policy - Every little "tile" you see was once advertising ephemera, junk mail, a postcard or packaging. I also repurpose old canvas and frames. All paints and adhesives, coatings are water-based, non-toxic and acid free.

• Ephemera

  Click here for examples of ephemera.

• Synesthesia - is a phenomenon - Synesthetes experience the fusion of two senses – a blending of color and numbers, taste and shape, etc. I am one of just a few "True Synesthete Artists." For more information about Synesthesia – follow this link: science stuff by the leading researcher: or click here to read about famous synesthetes like me.

• Eidetic Imagery - is something like a photographic memory - I retain images and can watch movies in the air!. - The Wikipedia page and definitions: definition, and more

• Perfect Pitch - I started playing piano "by ear" at age 4. I went to a concert and spoke up, telling the violinist she was playing the wrong notes... she agreed! absolute pitch