Lola Dupre - Collage Artist | A dive into her life to understand the magic behind her unique work


After Sawrey Gilpin by Lola Dupre

1.    Name : Lola Dupre

2.    Age : 37

3.    Where are you from ? 

Scotland, but I have lived around Europe in Switzerland, France, Ireland and Portugal. I still spend a lot of time in Spain

4.    Where are you currently located ?

Portencross in Ayrshire Scotland, it is a peaceful little place near a castle and a nuclear power station. Probably going to move soon though, most likely to one of the Scottish Islands.

Haku by Lola Dupree

Haku by Lola Dupree

5.    Education : 

Basically no formal education, I had a great art teacher in primary school.. I never went to college or university. I spent my youth in arts studios working and learning, that was my education.

6.    Why the Dada movement for your portfolio?

Dada is everything, for me Dada is revolutionary and anti-establishment . It comes from a place where we reject the normal, corrupt and elite. Juxtaposition is immediate and accessible to all.

Chang'e 4 by Lola Dupree

Chang'e 4 by Lola Dupree

7.    We noticed your work includes animals as an inspiration as well, what led to that? 

I work with many images, people, places, things, animals. It is quite a new thing for me to make so many cat and dog portraits. In 2018 we adopted cat called Charlie, things slowly got out of control after that..

8.    What message does your art deliver. How do want your audience to perceive it ?

 Eyeballs are good, if someone sees my work I am happy to inspire a smile or an independent thought. We are surrounded with stimulus, stationary and moving images, it is not a bad thing, just a thing. To reach somebody in this crowded visual space and engage in a dialogue is important and difficult, I try to do this with a kind of mirror on the world. You can see the recent Chinese moon lander in my mirror, as well as fluffy instagram cats. I want you to look at yourself in my mirror, see that everything is there and nothing is 100% what you expect or want. It is a ecosystem in flux, evolving and growing. To exist in a space between ugliness and beauty but to always be attractive to the eye, that is what I want.

Charlie VIII even softer by Lola Dupre

Charlie VIII even softer by Lola Dupre

9.    Could you walk us through your entire process of work, from inspiration to execution.

It changes a lot from piece to piece, basically I have countless images in my head and I select them by searching for existing images that fit the rough shape of my vision. I then work obsessively to complete the work, I am definitely a workaholic. I try to always remind myself that the content not the process is the important thing. I do not care If it is paper collage or digital collage, or painting or animation, the content is the important thing. The integrity of the vision.

10. Can you share your favourite work and tell us why is it so ? 

I do not really have any favourites, it changes all the time. It is the last work I finished, or I should not have finished the work.

11. Describe the place where you work from.

I work on a large empty table, with my tools. laptop, wooden boards, paper, glue, scissors and brushes. I like minimal tidy clean spaces with good views. Outside I can see the ever changing sea, and birds eating from many feeders. It is an old building, with a wood fire and old stonework. A cat sleeps on the floor and lights up the room.