I Want to Love You Openly, 2021
Introducing Camille Freytag, Montreal, Canada Artist
About the Artist:
Hi! I'm Camille Freytag, a self-taught artist and I've always had a playful approach to art. I love to explore new techniques and mediums with an open heart and childlike enthusiasm. My collage work is influenced by my unusual upbringing, my lesbianism and my love for found objects and nature.
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Camie's Materials, Self-Portrait, & Process Shot
My love for collage goes back to my childhood, when I'd watch my older sister create pieces of art with cut up magazines, she was a great inspiration to me and always encouraged my exploration of collaging.
Shout, 2021
I had a very tumultuous childhood and during my teens, I turned to art to help me deal with the confusing and intense emotions coming from trauma. Collaging always felt like a faithful friend that helped me go through hard times and allowed me to explore and share realities I wasn't able to put into words.
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Top Panel - Thread, 2021 / Sacred, 2021 / Teacup, 2021
Bottom Panel - Untitled, 2021 / Untitled, 2021 / Triangles, 2021
I've collaged all through my life but hadn't been creating regularly for a few years when I discovered @februllage in 2021, a month long collage challenge on Instagram. I decided to participate, and having to create a new piece every day, reminded me how healing and fulfilling this practice was for me. From there I started sharing my work on Instagram, selling original art and meeting many amazing and inspiring collage artists!
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Welcome to Paradise, 2021 / Life is So Much Sweeter Without Them, 2021
Q & A with the artist:
/DRI:M/ARTZ: You mentioned that your collage work is influenced by your "unusual upbringing". Can you share a childhood memory that shaped your aesthetic and who you are today?
Camille Freytag: I have a hard time thinking of a specific memory. My childhood was very dark at times but I had the chance to be immersed in art and culture from birth, it really influenced how I perceive the world and how I grew as an artist. Art was always something essential to me, it helped me survive and grow. Making art is something I need to do, it centers me and helps me communicate with my inner child. As a result, my practice always feels very personal.
DA: Your embellished analogue photos are the bomb! Can you talk a little bit about how you come up with the text for them? I was really touched by your phrases of lesbian love and relationships.
CF: Thank you! Sometimes I'll have a concept in mind and a sentence I want to use, and I'll look for a picture or postcard that matches, but most of the time I just play around with materials I have around, try different things and let myself be inspired by what comes together.
DA: What projects do you have in the works that we can look forward to this year and beyond?
CF: I'm working on my first solo zine right now! That's another medium that I got into thanks to my sister @aurelie.dmy, she's published a lot of beautiful zines over the years and we launched one together a few months ago. She wrote the texts and I made collages to illustrate them.
For this project I'm working with a really old postcard set as a base, it will include original collages and personal anecdotes relating to coming out, to myself and others. I'm hoping to release it this November!
Untitled, 2021
Instagram | @camillefreytag