Expanded Collage and Assembly in Art: From Reconstructive Surgery to New Media

How Experiences with Reconstructive Surgery Shaped My Artistic Exploration of Collage and Assemblage.

Living with Unilateral Breast Agenesis and Reconstructive Surgery

Growing up with a condition called unilateral breast agenesis—where one breast grows, and the other doesn’t develop—I had my first breast reconstructive surgery at 16. Doctors augmented the non-developed side using an implant to match the volume of the other breast. I lived with this implant for 17 years before removing it, along with my other breast, just a year ago. (You can see an image of my breast implant below, which I kept as a display after the removal.)

Feeling "Assembled" in My Body and Art Practice



For most of my life, I’ve felt like there was something “added” to me. It’s as if my body was a blend of biological and synthetic parts, a sensation I could never ignore. This feeling is likely why I’m so drawn to the concept of collage and assembly in my art. Just as doctors assembled my body to "make me whole," I find myself assembling in my art practice—perhaps as a way to regain control over my body and my identity.

Exploring Collage at the Royal College of Art



Before my time at the Royal College of Art, I hadn’t really explored traditional collage. However, during a collage assignment, I started recognizing elements of my work that aligned with the concept of collage but in unconventional ways. I began integrating video screens into paintings, expanding the idea of collage beyond its traditional definition of reassembled paper.

If my body, reconstructed with a synthetic breast implant and natural tissue, was itself a form of collage, this led me to explore collage in other forms. I started to see that collage didn’t need to be limited to paper—it could be digital, physical, or even conceptual.

"Virtual Reverence": A Collage of Painting and Live-Video

One of my works, "Virtual Reverence," is a piece that integrates painting with live-camera video. Here, I explore the theme of fragmentation inherent in collage by portraying the crucifix with Jesus' body in pixel form. This fragmentation reflects our digital reality and comments on our complex techno-spiritual relationship with the online world. The piece critiques the forced narcissism we often see on social media platforms, where we present ourselves as "the chosen one."

Drawing Inspiration from Nam June Paik's "TV Buddha"

"Virtual Reverence" echoes Nam June Paik’s “TV Buddha” (1976), a piece that features similar elements of camera, screen, and religious imagery - expanding collage to include new media and found objects. Although I hadn't discovered Paik’s work prior to creating "Virtual Reverence," it was essential to learn about him, as he’s considered the pioneer of video art. In "TV Buddha," there’s a feedback loop where Eastern philosophy meets Western technology, with a religious object gazing at itself through a television—a potential symbol of spirituality and self-reflection.

In contrast, my piece portrays the viewer as the religious figure, reflected both in the painting and on the screen, creating a feedback loop that the viewer can’t ignore.

(Note:  See other reference of video-integrated paintings by Lans King here.)

Early Works: Using Collage as Reference for Paintings

Upon reviewing my earlier paintings, I noticed that I had unconsciously used collage as a reference in several pieces. I would gather images online, reassemble them, and then paint based on these references. One example is my painting "The Viewing" (pictured below), where the assembly of online-sourced image fragments became a foundation for the painting.

Returning to Traditional Collage Techniques

After this theoretical exploration into expanded collage, I felt the need to experiment with traditional photo collage. I used a mix of my own printed photos (documenting healing from my past reconstructive surgeries) and images sourced online. The results of these traditional collages are displayed below, showcasing my journey from digital to physical forms of collage.  You can see images of some collage pieces made from this exercise, such as  "Make it Pretty," and "Fix" above in this article.