Techniques of collage were first used at the time of the invention of paper in China around 200 BC. The use of collage, however, remained very limited until the 10th century in Japan, when calligraphers began to apply glued paper, using texts on surfaces, when writing their poems. The technique of collage appeared in medieval Europe during the 13th century. Gold leaf panels started to be applied in Gothic cathedrals around the 15th and 16th centuries. Gemstones and other precious metals were applied to religious images, icons, and also, to coats of arms. In the 19th century, collage methods also were used among hobbyists for memorabilia (i.e. applied to photo albums) and books (i.e. Hans Christian Andersen, Carl Spitzweg).
Despite the pre-twentieth-century use of collage-like application techniques, some art authorities argue that collage, properly speaking, did not emerge until after 1900, in conjunction with the early stages of modernism. Collage in the modernist sense began with Cubist painters Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso. According to some sources, Picasso was the first to use the collage technique in oil paintings. According to a Guggenheim Museum article about collage, Braque took up the concept of collage itself before Picasso, applying it to charcoal drawings. Picasso adopted collage immediately after (and was perhaps indeed the first to use collage in paintings, as opposed to drawings).1
Another name given to collage is assemblage — artwork made from many things assembled together. The word collage is from the French word “coller” which means “to glue.” Collages are wonderful catch-all pieces of art. You can make them with everything from sticks and stones, to postage stamps, bits of handmade paper and pictures cut out of magazines. Try making a collage that pays tribute to where you live. Start by collecting unique, interesting items for your collage. Make rubbings of tree leaves, as well as of engraved signs and building bricks. Look for things that have meaning for you: movie ticket stubs, bags from local merchants or pictures of your favorite cartoon characters.
Make a frame for your collage. Cut 1-inch wide strips of cardboard and glue them around the perimeter of the cardboard you are using as the base for the collage. The frame will give your collage a finished look. You can cover the frame pieces with a nice paper before placing, if desired. Play around with the arrangement of your collected items. Large, flat pieces can form the background for smaller items. When you are pleased with the way everything looks, glue the pieces down.
Other ideas for collages: make a nature collage using twigs, leaves, pieces of bark, moss, rubbings of rocks, whatever you can think of. Make a collage with items all the same color. Make a collage with things you have saved from a vacation trip. This is a wonderful way to keep those memories alive.
1 Source: Wikipedia