Valentin Pavageau's digital collages mix surrealism with psychedelics
French illustrator Valentin Pavageau creates digital collages that allow him to mix different influences and aesthetics that inspire him. "If you choose your sources carefully, you can create moods or atmospheres that are truly your own without sacrificing drawing ability or style," he told CR.
“The digital collage in particular offers unlimited possibilities in terms of background creation or color scheme and feels very alive as every single aspect of the piece can change seamlessly throughout the creative process. And it's a relatively young field of expression, so in my opinion there is still a lot to discover. "
Above: The Smoking Gun, Above: 414. All pictures: Valentin Pavageau
Pavageau began taking pictures as a child when he was drawing comics. At the art school he mainly worked with Indian ink and gradually switched to digital collage around 2012 after a short break. The work that Pavageau creates today is a mixture of surrealism, symbolism and psychedelics.
"I've always been fascinated by the power of certain images in the imagination, especially when you discover them at a young age. For example, I have very strong memories of Dali's painting of Shirley Temple as Sphynx, which I saw as a child. It was scary but so mysterious, "explains Pavageau." The same goes for old-school paintings in films or for Ray Harryhausen's work in stop-motion special effects. So I try to create pictures that somehow look like dreams with this weird feeling. "
A soft, warm place
Distancing
Small figures navigate vast landscapes in Pavageau's paintings, and there are two reasons for this. The first has to do with framing and adding a cinematic dimension to the image, and the second is more of a personal choice for the illustrator.
“My favorite sections are very small because the character looks back and forth between a drawing and a photo because of the loss of accuracy,” he says. "The lines become very thin and you can't really distinguish between faces and bodies."
Tower I.
bliss
For Pavageau, most paintings begin with finding a character and building around it, or a particular scene just comes to mind. "I experiment a lot, I'm pretty messy, but I try every single possibility of composition, color scheme and framing, ”he says of his process. "Until I feel like it's working for me, I know I'm on the right track."
Most importantly, each image is separate for the other. While some are created as a series, Pavageau says he seeks consistency but not repetition. "I'm not interested in doing the same thing again," he says. "Therefore it is sometimes difficult to find new ways – and at the same time to keep the passion."
Black water
What drives his passion is the reaction he gets from people who find his work on social media. "At first I was surprised that a lot of people who got emotional resonance with my work and projected their own interpretations had a lot of feedback and I couldn't ask for more, ”he says.
"It's what I love most in art. It's a powerful vessel for emotions and imagination." When I can be part of this inspiration loop, I am really happy. "
@valentinpavageau