Hunt wrote:
> Depending on how critical one wishes to be with the definition, and the source
> of the definiton, a mosaic can consist of elements that are arranged to create
> an image. One mosaic technique is to put an image on a breakable substrate,
> break it, and then assemble it with the cracks, etc.
Well, here's what the American Heritage Dictionary has to say, as
snipped from dictionary.com:
mo·sa·ic n.
1.
1. A picture or decorative design made by setting small colored
pieces, as of stone or tile, into a surface.
2. The process or art of making such pictures or designs.
There are other entries, generally much more specific, but they fall
under the above.
mon·tage n.
1.
1. A single pictorial composition made by juxtaposing or
superimposing many pictures or designs.
2. The art or process of making such a composition.
Again, there are some more specific uses, but the initial definition
still applies to them.
col·lage n.
1.
1. An artistic composition of materials and objects pasted over
a surface, often with unifying lines and color.
2. A work, such as a literary piece, composed of both borrowed
and original material.
2. The art of creating such compositions.
3. An assemblage of diverse elements: a collage of conflicting
memories.
While the three are all SIMILAR, and probably interchangeable in general
usage in most cases, there are some specific differences, mainly in what
kinds of materials are used, and how they're assembled.
(Interestingly enough, dictionary.com's WordNet entries have 'montage'
and 'collage' as synonyms of each other).
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