– Hi Vesna, could you present yourself? What is your background ?

I am Vesna Vrdoljak, 40 years old. I have a Croatian father and Dutch mother. I am married, I have two children and I live in Amsterdam.
I studied Film theory at the University of Amsterdam. I have been working in film production and distribution. Later I worked at the Amsterdam School of the Arts, where I was responsible of marketing and communication.

– What sparked that transition from art in theory to one in practice ?

Making collages came organically :  assembling and cutting papers and pictures. I started doing this more and more as I spent a lot of time home with a (sleeping) baby. Later, when I quit my office job and my second child came along, collage became a daily habit. The desire to express myself through making collages became an urge. 

– Does your practice focus entirely on collage ? Or have you worked with other media?

Sometimes I try different media. I wish I could draw but I am terrible in drawing. Every now and then I like to try something different, to stay open for change, but in the end… I always come back to collage.

– The lines, shapes and forms convey a sense of symmetry and an attention to detail. As pieces fitting in a puzzle, the smoothness of the surface presents a balanced and harmonious result. The assemblages of various sheets and images reveal a single entity, as if you sought to explore the limits of collage at its most elemental level. Could you tell us more about your artistic practice?

Lately, my practice is trying to create an undefinable yet vaguely familiar image by using the least amount of elements and cuts. At the moment I am fascinated by zooming into a subject and emphasize on details. This allows me to transform the depiction. Then, I combine it with an element from a different source, preferably one with a different scale. I like the distortion this brings.
The structure of the paper and its imperfections — or its history if you want to call it that way — are leading elements in my work and sometimes even become a starting point.

– With cuts seemingly taken from vintage b/w photographs and magazines, and old-fashioned paper whose color palette presents an almost faded appeal, your work takes us back in time. Is this a purely aesthetic choice or is there something else behind the retro — perhaps a form of nostalgia?

Yes, my work is very much tied to nostalgia. I am a nostalgic person after all. The nostalgia starts with the paper I use: the old paper is both faded and with deep colors. I sometimes try to work with new paper, from contemporary magazines, but there is no depth in this paper. Also the feel of new paper is different; almost empty. I feel attracted to the hidden stories behind the old pictures. A hint to a passed life we cannot fully understand. Leaving space to make our own story. I think that is romantic. 

– The practice of collage can also be tied to a history of feminism. Women artists such as Hannah Höch and Barbara Kruger adopted this art form to question the status of public images, and more particularly in the case of female representations. Do you sense this feminist legacy of collage in your approach?

I like to honor women in my work by depicting them in a simple yet graceful and stylish way. By leaving out their facial expression I give them some mystery.

– You have spent quite some time in Paris yourself ! What was your personal impression of the Parisian style and its way of life?

I like Paris for its vibrancy and passion. Even early in the morning, I feel a buzz and an exciting promise for the day. I think Parisians like to spend their lives more outside than Dutch people. The streets are alive. Parisians are also very daring and like to live in the moment. In my view, that is a very pleasant attitude for collaboration.

 – Interview conducted by Vittorio Pessin –