ARTIST OF THE MONTH OF JULY
Stéphanie
Filion
Montréal
How did you discover collage?
I’ve been doing collage since I was a teenager. I like paper and everything related to it: bookbinding, origami, the printed arts. In 2019, in the midst of writer’s block, I began to cut and paste intensely. I found folders full of pages kept over the years! Since then, the writing has returned, but I also continue to tell stories through collage.
What did you like about the collage medium?
Collage is a work of displacement. In that sense, it’s really close to poetry. It also allows a lot of playing around absence and presence, emptiness and fullness. I move the pieces until a sense appears, and I’m amazed every time.
How would you describe your style?
I have a sensual and poetic style. I like to integrate words as much as images to tell a story that we catch at once.
In one word, what makes you unique?
Intimacy
Where do you find you collage material? What are your favorite magazines?
I grew up near a flea market, so I learned to find treasures in the middle of the clutter: second-hand stores, even in the recycling bins of merchants in my neighbourhood! I find a lot of vintage photos and old magazines at auction. My friends also bring me prints from their trips.
Any advice for a newcomer collagist?
Miracles often happen when you play with a box of paper scraps: get yourself a box just for your scraps: and to go back to it often for inspiration.
