It’s been almost two years since french artist Estelle Savini threw herself into photomontage . Blending old and new, she pays tribute to the aesthetics that grabs her.
By Cosmos Vintage
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
The victorian era is a main influence for me, and my love for it makes me want to learn more and more about that time period.
The circus universe is also a very important reference, I really dig into his otherworldly, magical aspect. I really love how circus dressing style alone is capable of summon you to a fantastic, imaginary world.
You also pay homage to classic painters… which ones are your favorites?
Caravaggio is my most beloved painter, but I also adore Fragonard (a french painter from the 18th century) and of course William Waterhouse, a romantic artist that I truly admire.
As we said, your work is a mix of old and new. Do you find inspiration from present-day artists?
I cherish the works of “Pierre et Gilles”, they are also in a soft spot between photography and painting… And they are masters of visual overload. Aside from modern artists, movies are very important in my visual culture: “Marie Antoinette” (Sofia Coppola, 2006) , “The Lover” (Jean-Jacques Annaud, 1992) and my favorite movie: Adrian Lyne’s “Lolita” (1997) with Jeremy Irons in the main role.C
Why combine different ages, different feelings in your art?
I think that it’s because of my penchant for duplicity. My parents are both artists as well, and they have very differents styles… maybe I’ve carried over this fact to my own personal approach to art. It could be the reason to place characters out of context, like in my piece “Marie Antoinette à Bagdad”.
I like to take beautiful things that others have made, and create my own version. I want to show to the artists what they make me feel. If thanks to my interpretation of their work I can make them travel, if I can stimulate their imagination, then I’ll be happy.
What do you want to do next, what is the natural evolution of your style?
I would like to continue doing what I do, to deepen in this line of work… but in the future I would love to make my way into the third dimension, I find sculpture really interesting.
Let’s finish with a must: what’s your favourite vintage garment?
My pair of “Sting” sunglasses from the 80’s, golden frame with fake tortoise shell details!
You can find Estelle’s work at her site or on her Instagram account.
