SINNER
Maura Nonnis aka HOLYVISITOR is a digital collage artist and image maker based in Sardinia. The artist is heavily interested in vintage art, clothes, and furniture which is the basis of the artists aesthetic.
"Tell us a bit about you."
My name is Maura, I’m 26 years old and I live on that island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea that no one seems to know. I can speak Italian, Sardinian, English and Spanish. I like to say that I can also speak French because I’ve studied it for eight years but all I remember now is Omelette du Fromage.
"When did your love of vintage aesthetics start?"
It definitely started in thrift shops. In the past, I’ve spent many holidays in the Netherlands and one of my favourite places to go were thrift shops. Not only I was in a foreign country but I was also having the possibility to dive into its people’s old stuff. Weird looking lamps, kitsch mugs, old paintings, secondhand clothing and books in a language I couldn’t speak. It was heaven to me.
"Art history is a way to try and find similarities between people of different eras."
"Your work heavily references art history. Can you tell us more about your interest in art history and what you want your followers to take from your work?"
Well, I am an extremely curious person and to me art history is a way to try and find similarities between people of different eras. Yes, there are different styles and ways to deliver messages through art in history but let’s not forget we’re all humans in the end and whether you like it or not we all look for the same things in life; happiness, love and maybe a little bit of sex.
"Talk to us a little bit about your process. Are you creating your collages by hand, or digitally?"
Actually I’ve started out creating collages by hand and I’ve also (unintentionally) destroyed my grandmother’s encyclopedia from the 60’s by doing so. I really enjoyed cutting the figures out of the pages and managed to buy another huge vintage encyclopedia in order to find new images. My house was invaded by little pieces of paper and still I couldn’t feel like I was truly expressing myself. Eventually, got tired of it working in this way and switched to the digital side which has opened a new world before my eyes.
"How important is graphic design and the use of text in your pieces?"
Graphic design became more and more important as time passed and I discovered new techniques. My Instagram page is a mess because I keep trying new things and it’s the perfect reflection of my personal life: I have too many interests to stick with one.
Text is extremely important in my pieces now. Whether it is a full sentence or a single word, to me, it acts as the frame for a painting. It completes it.
"If you send messages while making people laugh, those messages will stick with them on a deeper level."
"What role does comedy play in your work?"
Comedy plays a huge role in my work. Sarcasm levels in my life are so high that people sometimes find it hard to understand if I’m joking or being serious. My idea is that if you send messages while making people laugh, those messages will stick with them on a deeper level as they were enjoying the moment they received the information. I guess it’s some sort of Neuro-linguistic programming.
"What is the future of art?"
That’s a great and hard question at the same time. For what I see people seem to be evolving into a prepackaged version of themselves and that doesn’t leave much room for creativity and therefore art. But I feel like it’s just a phase and when society will bottom out people will explode with creativity, imagination, joy; art will invade hearts and a new positive balance will be established.