Keeni’s Collages

COLLAGE

Let us look more closely at collage and see what it really is. “Collage art is ‘a technique of composing a work of art by pasting on a single surface, various materials not normally associated with one another."

KEENI KESSLER’S COLLAGE TECHNIQUE.

After hesitating for many years, as she was unsure of her art, she finally “jumped” and despite a very bad back condition, would spend hours over her concert piano, using it as a table… Paper cuttings everywhere, scissors, glue, magazines half destroyed, ribbons, pieces of textile, pens and crayons, and all sorts of materials. The fact that she chose to work on collages rather than charcoal, paint or pen to make sceneries and/or etch familiar people was probably made as she probably felt it was much freer.

At a certain time of day, she would decide to start working, and would do so for hours on end, until her back was too painful and then she would stop or take a break.

First there would be some photos from a magazine, that she would cut out in the shape that she deemed appropriate for her “tableau”. Then, she would have long pieces of paper that she would roll, making it like a long “roll”, covering it in glue, then painting it, and putting said “rolls” on her tableau, depending where the parts/pieces of the photograph would be placed on her background drawing paper (thick, making for a good backing). Then, pencils and special ink pens would enter the dance, to complete the designs, shapes. One can clearly feel the influence of the East in her creations, be it India, or other Eastern places. I could only see it from the “outside”, as she was a rather private person. But reminiscing about her “Italian” life, she would often be taken for Venetian, given her blond hair, light complexion, and blue eyes (she spoke Italian like a native, more like a Florentine, rather than a Venetian! But had been to Venice… and admired it fiercely. The staging port of the Silk Road in ancient times… Maybe there are more links than meet the eye!

WHAT IS COLLAGE AND HOW DID KEENI KESSLER GET INTO COLLAGE?

MIGRATION 35CM X 30CM

Nature and the environment were most important in Keeni's life as she was crazy about animals, plants and flowers. Seeing the slow but unrelenting degradation of our habitat, she at times thought Mother Earth would be better off without humans living on it. Also, she imagined that at some stage, people might leave Earth. The other side of the coin is that she also deeply sympathised with displaced people and animals, and strongly felt for their plight. A number of her friends had been displaced due to the Second World War, and suffered a great deal because of it.

FIORETTA 33CM X 26.5CM

Under "Amicizia" (which means friendship in Italian) there is the story of the friendship between Keeni and Fioretta, who became her best friend, during the war while in Italy and remained so for the rest of her life. Fioretta, who came from a very well established Roman family, travelled widely and while there was a long hiatus in their contacts due to distance, they found each other again in the 60's till Fioretta's passing away due to illness.

DIWALI 38.5CM X 31CM

As Keeni lived in India (she remarried in 1961) with her husband Patwant Singh, who owned a rumber of journals, and one of which was his special "baby" called "Design" a political and arts magazine of which Keeni was assistant editor for 6-7 years (the whole time she lived in India, before returning to Europe gravely ill in 1967). Her time spent in India was fascinating, exhilarating and probably more. Discovering all the colours, smells, festivals and customs of this vast country was a totally new and most enriching experience for her. Naturally, she met many people from all walks of life, and learned about India through them. India left a very strong impression on her, and for many years after returning to Europe, on grand occasions, she would wear saris, which fitted her like a glove. Diwali, is of course the major Hindu religious festival, and cannot but impress people who see it, partake in it. She had travelled to numerous places, not as many as she would have liked, but she did see the North mainly, (Punjab, Kashmir) and Maharashtra (Bombay area as it was called then).

ORTHODOX 28CM X 34CM

What ever fell under my scissors
I never thought as others did
A free spirit was I
Unorthodox

Not fixed by place or time
Ever seeking was I
Unorthodox

Yet longing a right belief
No cut out Christian was I
Unorthodox

What ever fell under my scissors
An inventor of symbolism was I
Orthodox

poetry by MARKWALKER.

MEXICO 20CM X 29CM

PARFUM DE FLEURS 32CM X 50CM

As you probably have guessed this titles means"flower scent"/"scent of flowers". Flowers were a passion of hers, making the most amazing bouquets that were really stunning.
She would spend a great deal of time searching for flowers on walks, or later, when she was a real city dweller, she would track down the best flower shops where she was a very valued and loyal client. Lilacs sunflowers, orchids, tulips and many others meant beauty to her, and beauty to her was most important, as it made this difficult life more bearable.

SOUVENIR D'OMOES 43CM X 46CM

Omoes means granny in Dutch (rather affectionate form, and as Keeni's mother was a
"granny" - she was called that by many people, in her family and friends alike. Normally, it is the grand children who use that name "Omoes" - pronounced "Omoos".

POISSONS FLEURS

An impulsive image of fish in the sea or in an aquarium, and shapes that could be flowers, which she loved, hence this composite name of 'flower-fish'!

BLACK 30CM X 23 CM

VIOLONCELLE D'ULRICH 45CM X 32CM

PARC 22CM X 20CM

Who doesn't a park or beautiful garden?

ALL SEEING 43CM X 45CM

Having drunk entire OCEANS we are still AMAZED that our lips remain as dry as sandy beaches,
And we search always for the OCEANS to dip our lips
without SEEING that our lips are the BEACHES
and that we are the oceans.

Persian mystical poet