14178 (_The shell was emergency and torment …_) 1931

This piece, 14178 (_The shell was emergency and torment …_) by John Elsas, is a collage made up of fragments, little moments pinned together, perhaps searching for some sort of harmony between all its disjunctive elements. I can imagine Elsas piecing this together slowly, carefully. The shapes are so simple, so childlike; the pink face, the blocky blue, the way the eyes float. What was he thinking as he arranged these shapes, these colors? It's almost as if he's building a puzzle of sorts. That raw edge between materials, that’s where the energy lives. I can see how these shapes were cut out and layered, they create a whole new kind of surface. Look how the colour blocks create rhythm and tension. This collage reminds me of other artists who worked with found materials. What they all share is an amazing ability to transform ordinary things into artworks full of life. They're all in conversation, you know? It’s not about perfection. It’s about the process, the journey, the willingness to be open to whatever happens.