Art has no boundaries when one considers the variety it offers to self expression. And the art of collage-making is one such medium which, owing to its diverse nature, is an absolutely wonderful way to experiment and dabble with what one wants to say, in various creatively quirky ways. Eugenia Loli is one such modern artist, who dabbles in making collages with bizarre and surreal themes, often accompanied by a humourous and sarcastic personal take on the art work as well as what it represents (if anything).
Her artwork has been featured and published in various magazines and portals, used as album artwork by popular rock band Highly Suspect, as well as CD covers for various indie artists. Her collages use vintage images that are combined with elements as out of place as the galaxy, or often referring to the traditionally surreal form of art.
Rayguna
Completely blown away by her innovative and surreal collages, The Yellow Sparrow did a feature on her a few weeks back and got in touch with her to know more about her collage-making.
What made you change your career from a computer programmer, a journalist, a nurse, and a filmmaker to an artist dabbling in collage making? And how do you think the experiences from these contributed to your artistry as a collage maker and visual artist?
I started with becoming a nurse just because my mother wanted me to. I hated it with all my guts. I left that and became a computer programmer and analyst, and later I ran a tech news site. In the meantime, my health declined big time, [I] stopped working, and was towards my end of the rope when I finally found my health again 10 years later. That’s when art happened.
They [experiences] haven’t changed the way I do art. What they have changed is the way I do business. My experience in technology has made it easier to deal with social media, etc.
Bipolar
What is it about the medium of collage that appeals to you?
(It’s the) fastest way to do art. It’s the ultimate remix. It takes me two days to finish a painting, but 30 minutes to do a collage.
In your collages, you make use of a number of images from vintage fashion magazines. Is there a reason behind the choice of vintage fashion in particular?
Less copyright risk than modern images.
Plus, old film images look like paintings, due to not having enough detail on them. That’s a plus for the kind of vintage I do.
Which one of your artworks is your favourite or the closest to your heart?
This one.
You can read the explanation of the artwork there.
Three Minutes to Nirvana
Your work, New Mythology, contains surreal collages of various characters from Greek mythology. Where did your inspiration for putting these mythological characters in a modern vintage setting come from?
I’m Greek, so using some elements from mythology in a surreal modern setting comes rather easily to me. I wanted to become an archaeologist when I was a teenager, but I hated studying the ancient Greek language.
Enceladus Spring
Despite your identity as a visual artist, you have previously said that your style is more about the ‘meta-aspect’ of the work, rather than the visual.
It’s about the sarcasm and little tidbits about society and human behavior. When it comes to the visual style, my style is not different than most other collage artists. In fact, there are about 200 collage artists right now who are making the exact same kind of collage art I do. It’s nothing new. What sets me apart, is the sarcasm and humor I often employ.
What ways or techniques do you employ in bringing about this sarcasm and getting your point across in your artwork? And, what is the creative process, if any, which you employ in bringing about the conception and execution of an artwork?
I don’t have a technique really. I just try various images, and whichever feels funny and being tongue in cheek, I use it. With collage, you can’t premeditate the exact look of your work, as you would with a painting. Collagists are only as good as the images they have access to.
I start with a base image I like, and then I try several things on top of it afterwards. Not a major technique really. Just trying things for form and color.
Occupy Vulcan
What is your perspective on the emerging crop of artists, dabbling in previously developed art forms such as Surrealism, and bringing about new modifications and techniques within the bigger fold of the artistic style?
Art will always evolve. Even in my style of collage, there are now 3-4 new collagists who do what the rest of us do with modern images, and a bit differently. Definitely an evolution.
The Offering
Do you think the emerging contemporary art scene is making art a medium of sustainable living, as opposed to it being dependent on patronage and funding, and without getting caught in creative exploitation?
It is my estimation that any artist who has found success, he/she will have financial success with their style for 2-3 years, maximum. From that point on, the artist has to reinvent themselves, just like any person in the entertainment industry has to. Art is fashion too, and that’s one fact that most artists don’t understand.
Cosmetic Massacre
Do you think that education is a necessity for pursuing a career in art?
Unless the artist needs to actually learn technique, there is absolutely no reason to go to art school. Most artists by the age of 18 already have built their style, and most of them are good enough with drawing etc. These artists are better off getting directly into the market rather than losing 2-4 years for no good reason. How to make meaningful art that speaks to people you can learn via social media, not art school.
Enlightenment is to Gaze with Undimmed Eyes on All Darkness
Eugenia’s work can be found and purchased on her site. Her work can also be accessed on her Tumblr and Instagram.
