Interview with illustrator Léa Chassagne during her exhibition ETERNEL FEMININ. Discover his universe with us.
Léa Chassagne is an artist, illustrator, art director, graphic designer from Paris. She exhibits at the Slow Galerie from May 11 to June 3, 2017. Discover or rediscover this artist with many hats through her photomontages and collages.
-If you had to describe your world to someone who doesn't know it yet in a few words?
My universe is joyful, lush, colorful, inscribed in nature in imaginary, surreal and living worlds.
-Do you find your inspiration at home, via the Internet or outside?
Everywhere, that's what's cool today. We see a lot of things all the time, commercials, exhibitions, music, films in which we find my subject, the woman.
-How long do you take to create?
It's quite random, sometimes an idea comes right away and the realization is long, sometimes the opposite. I have desires but not necessarily a subject. Generally, I put 5 working days spread over 1 month. When I use 50 images, I looked for 200 so the search is long.
-Do you have any collaborative projects with other artists?
I was able to make some vinyl covers and a book will come out with 50 book covers imagined by 50 illustrators who have chosen a book that has marked them but I rather have press orders at the moment.
-Why did you choose this technique over another?
It was not really a choice, I arrived in an advertising agency in which they did photomontage, I started even if I preferred the pencil. Photoshop gives flexibility, you can work anywhere, when you have a hole between two jobs, it's easier than taking out your scissors and glue next to the pattern. I've always liked to take someone's body and stick another head on them.
-What are the first steps of your work? A sketch? An image? Imagination?
It all depends on what makes me want to. Sometimes during an image search, I come across another image that will inspire me the next drawing, I tell myself this character has an incredible pose, I want to put him in another setting, or I will see something that inspires me and I will make a sketch. I quickly cross the image research and my idea to see if it is feasible because it is a constraint to have to deal with what exists.
-Which artist from the past would you like to meet?
Salvador Dali. He looked like he was funny.
-A favorite work?
No, I like many things, many different styles and it shows in my works.
-What is your dream as an artist?
I would like to make a beautiful music festival poster, maybe electro or pop. I would like to see my illustrations in the metro.
– What is the most rewarding during your exhibitions?
It's gratifying to see that it can bring pleasure, smiles to some people, we enjoy ourselves first hoping that it will be contagious.
–How do you imagine the future of art? That of collage?
The principle of collage is surrealism with a more raw collage. The future is the mix of mediums, that's what I do by taking paintings, diverting them and mixing them with other images. The crossing of mediums is what we see at the moment, the fixed illustrations that are not videos, not gifs but where we find a single element that moves.
-Does the name artist suit you?
I'm more comfortable with illustrator because people expect less from you, they approach it in a more casual way. When we say art, artist, people think you have to understand something, they put pressure on themselves and don't allow themselves to just appreciate what they see.
-Is it difficult to combine artistic activity and the profession of graphic designer and artistic director?
It's not always easy, it's not the same world even if it's still a work on software. I have a privileged status at the moment so I'm very lucky.
A colorful and cheerful exhibition, bathed in the kitsch of the 80s, ancient and more modern figures leaving the main place to women. Inspiring inspirations that are worth seeing in the gallery. Followers of surrealism, go for it.
