Please, introduce yourself, tell us a little bit about you.
My name is Lola Dupre and I am a collage artist and illustrator.
I like outsider art and the fractal beauty of nature.
Currently i am living and working near Galway, Ireland. But in the last few years I have been living in Switzerland, Scotland, France, Portugal and Spain.
I think travelling and seeing cultures change around you is a great background for making collage.
Recent, current or future projects you are involved in that you would like to share with us?
In the past i have been very preoccupied with working towards exhibitions, but at the moment I am just making collages and very much enjoying it.
I am enjoying making quite small work, generally A4, as this gives me the time to experiment with lots of new ideas.
But soon I will be working on something new for my gallery in Los Angeles, CES Contemporary.
What kind of things do influence your work?
It is a cliche, but everything really. In my most recent work, currents of geo-political propaganda and political false-flag culture.
But in general, everything I see from insect life to travelling in Europe.
How is your normal process of collaging? (idea or commission, where do you get your materials or find your images, which is your cutting technique, best way you have found to paste, where do you work and how, and very important: what do you do with your scraps)
Well becasue I need multiple copies of images at different sizes, the only way is to search the web and then print what i want.
It means I am very comfortable with 80gm paper, and i have access to a massive bank of images. Also very contemporary images which is important for my work.
I always use scissors, I really hate blades!, to me it always seemed so much easier using scissors. Usually I am not making a delicate cut, for me it is more about matching up the pieces of paper, not cutting things out.
I use a small brush to stick down a small piece of paper, and a big brush to stick down a big piece of paper. I prefer PVA glue, and i work on wood panels.
Now, its getting cold in my studio, so I am using my paper scraps to start fires. I like gathering wood in the forest to burn, often i find ideas this way.
In the past I would always try to recycle everything one way or another.
Wich is your latest discovery in the collage world? What advice can you give to a collage beginner?
My latest discovery is the deep and beautiful collage work of Ashkan Honarvar, I have been aware of the work for some time, but i am right now looking through the beautiful back catalogue of work for the first time.
My advice to a collage beginner would be work, work, work. Get together a body of material so you can nurse and develop your directions and skill.
What do say your friends/family about your collage work? And, what do you do when you are not working on art?
Everyone has been very supportive, and everyone seems to appreciate what I do.
When I am not working on my art, I do exactly as I wish. I have no children, and no desire for children, and therefore my time is free to do exactly what I want. If I am not making art, I am probably relaxing in one of the many ways that I enjoy!
Would you like to ask anything to John Baldessari? Shoot.
Would love to!, a secret collage discussion over a couple of informal drinks would be nice.
2014 Collage portrait of Aubrey Beardsley by Lola Dupre. Manipulation of an original photograph by Frederick H.Evans.
Benjamin Netanyahu
