The Collage Paintings derive from a trip to Paris where Philabaum first saw exquisite glass paintings hanging in a sophisticated subway station. Fascinated, he returned home to tinker with ideas in his Tucson studio. That same summer, a rare glass gemmail painting by Picasso was discovered in storage in an Indiana museum. The discovery ignited a debate around the world on Picasso’s method that mirrored Philabaum’s investigations and questions. Ultimately, his methods were arrived at by his own experimentation. The collages include high-fired paint, foil, wire, screen, and metal scraps sandwiched between glass.