Carol Steffens - A Woman's Journey Through Jazz

Using bits and scraps of paper and mixed media collage techniques, I have created a collection of visual representations illustrating memories and emotions of my love affair with jazz music. My method involves using pieces of ripped or cut recycled paper from printed material I have saved over the years, and reassemble and glue the pieces back together again in an entirely new way. I draw many of my inspirations from my collection of saved printed material including jazz journals, concert programs, conferences schedules, and a multitude of other mementos from my travels, projects, performances and of course, the musicians and the music. My materials, with the exception of acrylic paint, are all recycled material, including the canvases and frames.

In the fall of 2017, I began this visual story telling process. I set up an art studio in my basement and proceeded to start going through stacks of my precious, saved paper memorabilia.  I just started ripping and gluing paper back together.  It has been my countless experiences over the years that have inspired me to create these twenty-five visual images of what jazz music felt like, looked like and how I lived it.