SDA Book Club: Explorations with Collage! reviewed by Zia Gipson
February 6, 2026
Explorations with Collage! Merging Photographs, Paper and Fiber by Wen Redmond
Before reviewing Wen Redmond’s second book (her first being Digital Fiber Art), I knew her only by name. Now, nearly 200 pages later, I am wowed by the depth and character of her explorations. She offers so many choices, the reader will find themselves a bit overwhelmed by the options in process, materials, and subject matter presented. You might ask yourself, which road shall I take? The answer is: all journeys initiated by study of this book are bound to carry you to a valuable destination.
Redmond is an accomplished photographer—especially of nature—and has full command of image processing software like Photoshop. (Her instructions are clear enough that readers will have no problem translating Photoshop software commands into their own choice of graphic design software like Canva). She has an excellent sense of how to organize complex material into “how-to” that is both clear and compelling. Common to the book’s formatting is her use of small, boxed, side-by-side process illustrations. In the “Simple Edits” section, she takes us through the process of photo editing using three illustrations—starting with an original image of a soap bubble on a table, to a cropped image somewhat magnified, and then to a desaturated altered state in black and white. This book is full of such galleries of images, allowing us to follow along as if we were in her studio.
Photographic alterations are key to Redmond’s work. The images are manipulated by printing on a myriad of materials including paper, fabric, a wide variety of paints, Powertex (a fabric hardener), acrylic mediums, glue and whatever else has come to hand. Plenty of natural materials make their way into her compositions. Seed pods, coffee grounds, flower petals, and string are all present. I pity Redmond’s poor pink jet printers, which have no doubt been challenged to accept a wide array of substrates all in the name of art.
Much of the work in Explorations with Collage! falls into the loose categories of collage and assemblage, although there are other art forms such as artists’ books, paper vessels, and found object constructions. Wen Redmond is a creator and explorer par excellence. The good news for us is that, with this book, we can each take the journey along with her!
–Zia Gipson is a free range artist of long duration living and working on an island in Puget Sound. She daily excavates her studio table uncovering her ‘what’s next’ in fabric or paper.
- Publisher: Schiffer Craft (buy it here)
- Date: April 2024
- ISBN: 978-0764367625
If you’ve read this book, leave a comment and let us know what you think!
Do you have a recommendation for a recent fiber-related book you think should be included in SDA’s Book Club? Email SDA’s Managing Editor, Lauren Sinner, to let her know!
