Art aficionados are more or less familiar with the twentieth century art form known as Surrealism, popularized by the likes of Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte and Picasso, amongst others. In contemporary times, just as the meaning of art and its various aspects keeps developing and evolving, artists have delved into various mediums to create surrealist works of art. Eugenia Loli is one such artist who has used the art of collage-making to combine scans from vintage magazines and science publications to create visually bizarre and quintessentially surreal collages.
She has previously worked as a computer programmer, a technology journalist, and a filmmaker, before she decided to dabble in collage making and, in her own words, has “been hooked ever since.” Loli uses a base image for her collages, before working around it with various other images combined in an unconventionally stylized collage, with (often) sarcastic and witty meta-narratives that she employs in her images. Her art borrows elements from not only traditional surrealism, but aspects of pop art, dada and modern illustrations.
Loli has mentioned illustrator Julien Pacaud as one of the artists who got her interested in the art of collage making; however, it was collage artist Kieron “Cu3ses” Cropper who became her main influence. Other artists who have inspired Loli’s artwork include Bryan “Glass Planet” Olson, David Delruelle and Magritte. However, she does not believe in artists adhering to a particular style, calling it “artistic death”. Loli explains:
If I have a style. its probably some ‘meta” aspect of it (e.g. the sarcasm that I usually employ in my collages), rather than something visual.
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, for example, pink coloured rocks sprouting out of the necks of two lovers in an embrace. While topically these images may not adhere to a particular narrative or to a distinctive aspect, they invoke within the recipients not only appreciation for the visually-endearing collages, but also inviting and tempting them to delve further and to invoke interpretations beyond what the collage may superficially be trying to say.
Through her collages, Loli attempts to “say something”, often attaching explanations along with her artwork. Her often out-of-place style of combining seemingly incompatible images into a collage, along with a visually narrative voice attached to the artwork, draw the attention of practically anyone who chances upon her work. In her artist’s statement, Loli mentions the teasing, visual narrative her collages contain, “as if they’re a still frame of a surreal movie.” The viewers are, in a sense, invited to make up the movie’s plot in their mind, often accompanied by the artist’s own explanation and narrative surrounding the collage.
Having grown up in Greece, Loli has previously lived in Germany and UK. She currently lives in California and continues to create stunning visual collages, which can be accessed through her Flickr account for personal use. She also has a collection of official, signed art prints which can be accessed here. Her artwork can also be found on her Instagram as well as on this portal.
