Clare Owen

Clare Owen is one of my favourite illustrators.

I love her delicately stylized drawings and her use of collections is beautiful and subtle. 

Here she has grouped objects of a similar nature, all relating to haberdashery, and forged a harmonious relationship of hues that draws the whole piece together.

Found

Found Magazine is a site dedicated to the collection of found objects. It's interesting how one person's discarded notes, doodles and shopping lists take on a whole new life when portrayed in this medium.

Mark Dion

Mark Dion is an artist who uses a museuem-like, almost scientific display to exhibit his collections. In his work, the presentation becomes part of the art as the objects work in harmony to create a bigger picture.

Lisa Milroy

Lisa Milroy is an artist who paints heavily stylised objects (often shoes) against a stark white background. This piece shows matching heels from a variety of angles - the collection is established by the viewpoint rather then the differences between the objects.

Joseph Cornell



Ann Bridges

Ann Bridges is an artist I greatly admire, who creates stunning images combining painting and stencil based printmaking processes.

Inks are applied directly to the surface and layered onto the picture using small handheld rollers, allowing each layer to dry before adding the next. Some ink is carefully removed and by drawing into the ink she reveals a depth and richness that results in a stunning outcome. Her beautiful work is exhibited internationally.

She has worked a lot with collections, which is what I'll be focussing on.

Her categorisation is easy to distinguish: collections are grouped into shapes (round, triangular), colours (black, white), or simply by types of items (buttons, for example).
This method of universal classification is extremely accessible and the subject is consequently admirable for aesthetic purposes.

These two examples are among my favourite drawings of hers; I love the painstaking attention to detail and the slightly stylised, illustrative properties within. The composition is well-considered and carefully executed, and complimentary hues produce a beautiful harmony and balance.