The collage grows up at the Bryan Center's Louise Jones Brown Gallery

Popularized by second-graders around the nation, the collage is often associated with last-minute school projects rather than high art.

In The Art of Transformation, on display at the Louise Jones Brown Gallery until Dec. 1, artist Alyssa Hinton succeeds in transforming this classroom staple into a strong medium offering unusual visual depth.

While incorporating photography, oil paint, computer graphics, wood planks and even feathers, Hinton's art pieces remain fluid. At first glance, it is hard to pick out the different parts of the whole.

"The overall theme has to do with the universal concept of the individual and society at large resensitizing to earth," Hinton said.

The backgrounds of the pieces burst with warm colors that connote vivacity and life. Amidst the mixture of nature and cultural memorabilia-such as coins, map fragments and photos-Hinton subtly weaves in abstract technological images, like brain waves, to convey the interconnectedness of the world.

The color combinations and graphic distortions do not vary much from piece to piece; even the symbols, such as the deer and the turtle, are in jeopardy of losing emotional power through repetition.

The collage format also serves a personal purpose for Hinton.

"I use mixed media collage to fuse parts and pieces of my experience and awareness; it's a form of reconciliation within myself," she said.