Manifold Worlds is an enthralling journey into Monique Rollins's intricate and vibrant collages spanning 2018 to 2019. With a unique blend of color, depth, and a profound mastery of composition, abstract artist Rollins crafts visual, lively worlds that beckon you to step inside. Rollins's keen eye for color, line, and form results in intricate and complex compositions that are far from overwhelming; instead, they awaken the senses, offering an immersive experience like no other.

Dreamscape, 36 x 60 inches, is a mesmerizing acrylic and paper collage on canvas from 2019. Its intricate details and vibrant colors create a captivating visual narrative that invites you to explore every corner. Just as the title suggests, Rollins creates an environment by layering many individually cut pieces of paper painted with bright colors that protrude off the canvas, their shadows creating depth and an illusion of a recessing space.

In Inner Landscape, a standout piece from 2018, Rollins uses a contrasting palette of saturated blues and bright yellows to convey a sense of conflict and cohesion. The interplay of these colors, combined with the varied textures of the painted elements, evokes a world that is constantly in flux yet grounded in a palpable sense of place. The work invites the viewer to navigate its layered depths, revealing new details with every closer look.

Each work in this collection pushes the boundaries of traditional collage, transcending the medium's typical two-dimensionality to evoke a sense of dynamic, shifting worlds. With this, Rollins's meticulous technique of layering, cutting, and arranging results in simultaneously visually dense yet cohesive compositions. The interplay of light and shows, the juxtaposition of vibrant hues, and the delicate balance of abstract forms compel the viewer to engage with the artwork on multiple levels.

Curatorial Statement by
Phoebe Caswell