Anne Drehfal, collage artist at The Book Teller
“Step one, make sure you have enough gluesticks. Ha!”
Anne Drehfal, creator of the collages you see hanging on The Book Teller walls, shares with us a little about who she is, why she creates her collages, and how.
TBT: Who are you and what do you do (besides create collages)?
Anne: A good friend of mine recently asked me, "How are you collaging your life these days?", and I was shocked to realize that I had never thought of collage as a life-creating verb. My life is very seasonal; I've worked on organic farms (and co-owned one!) since 2012 when I graduated from UW-Madison. It wasn't until my first summer farming that I realized I am a kinesthetic learner at heart. I am passionate about the local food system and regenerative care of the soil. Plus, there is nothing more magical than watching a seed go through its life cycle. I'm currently looking to fold organic inspecting into the life collage part-time, and plenty of other passionate projects.
TBT: Why do you collage?
Anne: If I'm honest, because I'm thrifty. Not entirely, but that's a big part of it. So much print media is bound for the trash (or recycling) that I enjoy the upcycling aspect of collaging with it. Plus, it's pretty cool to have a community librarian pull you aside to gift a whole year's worth of material. (Especially National Geographics!)
At the core, I appreciate design & patterns. Collage allows for an (almost) infinite number of sources to be the base of images and patterns, without me having to create the source material, which I think allows me to dip into my subconscious more.
TBT: What is your process?
Anne: Step one, make sure you have enough gluesticks. Ha! Some evenings, I look through magazines for images that intrigue me and collect them all in a folder for later. Some evenings, I only collage with images that have jumped out to me in that moment. I look for colors, patterns, themes, and just start gluing. Sometimes, I place floating layers to play with a composition before gluing, other times I glue everything as I go along. I also tend to rotate my canvas as I go along so each orientation could potentially be the 'right' orientation.
TBT: What themes do you often pursue?
Anne: Changing of seasons, movement through space, architectural intrigue. The interplay between the seen world and symbolic world. Dance.
TBT: What/who are you often inspired by?
Anne: My parents are both artists, so it's always inspiring to hear of their current projects. My mom right now is doing a lot of work with indigo - scrunching and sewing fabric before dying it in the fermented indigo vat - while my dad delves deeper into his nature-inspired wood engraving work.
TBT: What is your dream project?
Anne: As I learn more about the traditional Tarot deck and the energetic themes each card represents, I'd love to someday collage each card and make my own deck. I've made a few specific cards already.
TBT: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Anne: A past farm employer once emphasized how their goal was to get 'enough'. It stuck with me, that we all define financial 'enough' in different ways, and that we all get to choose our own path, rather than constantly compare to others. I think it also takes into account the environmental impact of having more than enough. And a goal towards a work life balance that invites meaningful work, rest, joy, and celebration.
Anne’s set of collages from the fall. Pop in to see her new set of work!