Side Room Gallery is pleased to present its next exhibition Alternative Figures in Collage, 1962-2003, a reprisal of an exhibition from last year exploring the same theme and including several of the same artists. This show brings together a diverse group from the mid-to-late 20th century who have worked in a variety of media, some primarily in collage, while for others, their work in collage has largely remained unknown.

The word “alternative” by nature suggests something which goes against the mainstream or exists at its periphery. Collage itself, as a visual artistic medium, might already be considered alternative in its own right, compared to painting or sculpture, something neither here or there, a medium without a home. It also suggests the use of craft and techniques from outside the mainstream, which until recently, have been largely excluded from the dominant art historical narratives. While Modern art in the 20th century, from Picasso to Rauschenberg has given further legitimacy to the medium, there have been countless figures who have been neglected by the art historical and critical canons, many of whom are presented in this exhibition.

For many of these artists, “alternative” might relate to sexuality, race, or gender. Mike Henderson, who was working in the Bay Area of San Francisco while studying at the SFAI in the 1960s, was one of the first Black men admitted to the program. Ralph Arnold too, who was both gay, Black and an Army veteran, was pushing the limits of collage in Chicago while simultaneously being included in exhibitions curated by the venerable Don Baum. Baum, an artist and curator, organized many of the first Hairy Who exhibitions, which included Gladys Nilsson, another artist in this exhibition. Nilsson, while greatly known for her scintillating watercolors and eccentric paintings, is not well known for her later collages, one of which is included in this exhibition. Ralph Arnold, Hans Gerber, Ray Johnson, William H. Littlefield, and John Willenbecher all worked as gay men during a time when being out presented a risk to their career, although none of them made any efforts to hide their orientation or lifestyle.

“Alternative” might also suggest working at the periphery of the established art centers, such as New York City or Los Angeles. Both Sandú Darié, a Romanian-born Cuban artist, and Hans Gerber, a Swiss national, rarely showed outside Europe or South America. In the United States, one encountered a regionalist sensibility, which among these artists, extended from Chicago and the Bay Area to Long Island and Cape Cod. In Chicago, there was both Ralph Arnold and Gladys Nilsson. In the Bay Area, Mike Henderson, Jimi Suzuki, and Fred Martin. For his final project at the SFAI, Henderson painted the entire cafeteria silver, and Martin, who was the dean at the time, refused to accept repayment for the cleanup. For both Jimi Suzuki and Mike Henderson, the artist Peter Voulkos was an important mentor.

For both Helen Hoie, working on Long Island, and William H. Littlefield, working on Cape Cod, collage came late in life to their work (as it did also with Hans Gerber), but it would eventually become their work’s most enduring aspect. Hoie was close with the second generation of Abstract Expressionists, like Kenzo Okada, and Littlefield had earlier in his career painted stage sets for and portraits of Lincoln Kirstein.

Even within the New York art world, figures like May Wilson, John Willenbecher, and Ray Johnson were engaged with the burgeoning movement of Mail Art, with Johnson at its center. While the latter has since gained wide recognition and acclaim, his two close friends and collaborators still have not, despite their venerable contributions to the medium and to the history of Post-War art. And although Richard Smith, who has represented the UK at the Venice Biennale and showed at Richard Bellamy’s prestigious Green Gallery in New York, has had his reputation languish. His works push the edge of the definition of collage, as one might call them more accurately “constructions.” But this distinction throws into relief the wide variety of approaches encompassed under this single term, and myriad creative ways all these artists sought to express themselves through this medium.

Alternative Figures in Collage, 1962-2003 can be viewed online through November 2023. Individual works can be seen by appointment.

Side Room Gallery is a curatorial project by Gilles Heno-Coe with a focus on emerging contemporary artists as well as overlooked or marginalized historical figures. For more information, please email Gilles at  gilles@sideroomgallery.com. Please visit us on Instagram at @instagram-sideroomgallery.