Upcycling Aesthetic – 35mm Film Collage with Planters

The aesthetic I decided on for my project is the 35mm film collage aesthetic. This aesthetic falls under the general umbrella of “collage”, but has unique elements. Mainly, that the collage is entirely made out of 35mm film.

Sarah Goodman – 35mm Film Collage – Tip London Event (2018) *Link inactive

There are other elements that tend to be unique to the aesthetic though. The first is that 35mm film has a distinct film grade. This gives the collage a feeling of nostalgia that can’t be recreated with any other medium. Additionally, 35mm collages tend to focus on display the images or moments from a photograph rather than a mish mash of media. In this aesthetic the collage should be comprised of stand alone images that can be easily identified. The collage is merely a platform to display images in a creative way. It can be thought of as many pieces of art (photographs) being put together to create a large piece (the collage). 

Dexter Navy for Stussy x Converse – Dazed Magazine https://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/gallery/23079/2/dexter-navy-for-stussy-x-converse

Comparisons have been drawn between this collage aesthetic and zines, small batch publications that often highlight art. The comparison has been made to this due to the DIY feel both have. [1] The DIY feel in 35mm aesthetic collages comes from rough edges on pictures, hand drawn artistic additions, and lo-fi adhesive materials such as tape.

@WEAREBRAINDEAD “35mm Film Collage” 1 Aug 2019 https://jeraldjohnson.us/WEAREBRAINDEAD-35mm-Film-Collage-1-Aug-2019

For my upcycling project I will be building a multi level indoor planter using the 35mm collage aesthetic. I will be using a variety of bins and tubs around my house to construct the physical structure. A hobby of mine is being a photographic designer. I have tons of 35mm hard copy photos laying around that I will also be upcycling to achieve my desired aesthetic. In theory the only materials I will need to collect are the plants I’ll be putting into the planter!

Multi Level Planter Concept

Sources:

[1] “What is a Zine?” https://guides.lib.utexas.edu/c.php?g=576544&p=3977232

Featured Image: Archy Marshall and Jamie Isaac by Dexter Navy