A colourful throng of beachgoers, parrots, gliders, an overcrowded salon, guests swinging from the chandelier – Sanda Anderlon’s work is an invitation to a wild party, sensory overload in the best possible way: surreal but highly entertaining. Upon closer inspection, we discover the bizarre details hidden within, carefully placed curiosities that capture our attention. Showgirls from the 1920s party with hippies, a drinks delivery man in sweatpants interrupts a daydreaming Victorian woman, and a snowman stands next to a bikini model.
Scroll down for our Q&A with young Croatian artist, Sanda Anderlon.
Sanda Anderlon’s works reveal how colourful the infinite facets of life can be, eclectically, anachronistically, and humorously celebrating the joy of collecting.
FULL INTERVIEW
Q.Your work depicts scenes of exotic locales, lavish parties, and someone’s extensive closet. Can you talk about where your inspiration comes from?
A. Most of the lavish and extravagant scenes came to be after noticing how going hyperbolic allows me to meditate on many different aspects of the theme I'm depicting. People, relationships, and human conditions are my main inspiration fueled by what you might call chronic curiosity. Nowadays I tend to make visual diaries of things I'm going through or thinking about, often wrapped in metaphors, whereas before I was more into happy-go-lucky scenarios driven by David Byrne's imperative Stop making sense.
Q. The imagery and colours chosen in your collages evoke a feeling of freedom and joie de vivre. Is this intentional, or an organic outcome of your creative process?
A. That's nice to hear. It's an organic outcome. I think artworks in general work best when you don't force anything.
Q. You work across many mediums, including painting, drawing, animation, and, of course, collage. What is it about collage specifically that is exciting to you?
A. I liked the contrast of old vintage scans next to crisp digital images - it's like salty and sweet combined. One of the nice things about collage as a medium is "recycling" and giving new meaning to old ephemeral images. The serendipitous process of discovering something I otherwise wouldn't by following the source of the image is very fun.
Q. What does the rest of 2023 have in store?
A. Right now I am excited to be making visuals for literary fiction portraying the tension of forbidden love. Going with "less is more" for that one. I'm drawing and experimenting in the studio as well. In the other half of the year, I will have a small solo show exhibiting my charcoal drawings. Also travelling to New York, Paris and Rome and looking forward to things coming up unexpectedly as they usually do.
Q. Tell us something that most of your fans don’t know about you.
A. Forever in awe of Munch's Frieze of Life series. It's beautifully honest and raw - a gift that keeps on giving.
