I have always loved the look of posters in big cities, posters repeated over and over or ripped to reveal what's underneath. Of course I was drawn to it, and thought, it's sort of like collage, and I have no doubt tried to imitate it. Little did I know that this technique does exist, and it is called décollage!

Also from french, it means to "unstick," the opposite of collage. The art form that emerged from this technique is called the "lacerated poster." For examples of the lacerated poster, see the work of Jacques Villeglé.

Found on Flickr, an excellent set of décollage photographs can be seen here by member offshore. Who knew such everyday displays could be considered works of art?

Above Image: Mimmo Rotella.