Cut, Paste and Consume

Collage is now the language of teenagers says Charlie White, an LA-based artist whose essay, "Cut and Paste," is featured this month in Artforum. Charlie traces the history of collage from the turn of the last century into the digital age, noting that a culture built on mash-ups and re-mix must understand collage not as a radical or political tactic but as a sensible way to handle information overload. But is it just that? Charlie points to a site called Polyvore, which allows users to snip images - of cool clothes - and recontextualize them in new ways - as cool outfits - and claims that rather than inspiring contemplation, the site is all about consumption. He goes on to argue that culture has shifted dramatically toward the realm of the teen, adding that "nothing illustrates this better than the transformation of collage, where one might argue that 14 is the new 40, due to the embrace of levity in the face of tragedy, self over society, and desire over discontent." Charlie lists a series of examples that support the idea that collage has become juvenile, but then counters with a series of artworld explorations of collage that redefine the practice for a technological age. The essay is provocative and challenging, and includes a handy timeline. My question? Why do we still call it "cutting" and "pasting" in some nostalgic reference to scissors, paper and stickiness? Without that linkage, would we understand digital collage differently?