Shutupi Origins

Despite  Lala Drona’s squeamish attitude towards the media, there are still an impressive number of images of her released.  Surprisingly, almost ninety-five percent of these images come from the same source.  We’ve seen his name in the media, his photos of Lala, but who is the man behind the camera?  Based on a Fact investigates.

Shutupi (formerly Shutupi Sutaki) is a Japanese photographer with a missing index finger.  Coming from the Sutaki family, a family of famous calligraphers, Shutupi was the only member in history to deny his calligraphic duties and follow a “calling.”  

Legend says that Shutupi was never gifted in the art of calligraphy.  As a teenager, Shutupi spent most days practicing calligraphy with his best friend and cousin Beradon’na. During a boating accident, he saved Beradon’na, creating a Purotekutā, or protector. According to Sutaki family code, one is indebted to their hero, destined to live out the rest of their days protecting their savior, until the savior decides to release him/her.

Beradon’na and Shutupi discovered the camera at the age of sixteen.  From that moment on, Shutupi craved to see the world through the eye of the camera, or as he calls it, his “Chokkan” (third eye).  Of course the Sutaki family did not tolerate the artistic digression, and forebode the use of the apparatus.  One night, Shutupi’s father found him photographing the family’s work, a heinous crime under the Sutaki family code.  His father showed no mercy when disciplining his son. In a fight to protect Shutupi, Beradon’na was killed by her uncle.  Shutupi’s father then amputated his son’s right index finger, forevermore thwarting Shutupi’s attempts to take pictures (in the conventional way).

After eight years in the shadows, Shutupi appeared again in France in 2012.    Shutupi met Lala through mutual friends in the art community and was instantly enchanted.  It was then that he began to take pictures again.  Following Lala’s growing army of Drones, he stumbled upon and joined a team of paparazzi also looking to infiltrate the emerging community of art alter-egos.  The interest between Lala and Shutupi was reciprocal and Lala too began asking questions about the photographer’s past.

Lala already aware of the Sutaki family code, and the concept of the Purotekutā, invited Shutupi to dinner, where she poisoned his food with toxic berries. As he bordered death, Lala nursed him back to life.  Forty-eight hours later, Shutupi woke up to Lala Drona rubbing his stomach, now destined to live out the rest of his days at her side, or until the day she releases him.

Shutupi Origins, Based on a Fact

Lala gives tour in her defense

To disprove media accusations of muse abuse, Lala invites the press for a personal tour of the Lala Laboratory (just in the first phases of construction).

Sneak Peek of the Lala Laboratory

With construction of the Lala Laboratory underway, Drones everywhere are trying to get a closer look.  Lala releases a video as a sneak peek at what will be the Lala Lab.  Critics say that the notebook in the video represents the Lala Laboratory… all of Lala Drona’s big ideas in the notebook are to be made reality in the Lala Laboratory.  Music The Big Dream by David Lynch.  See more videos by Lala here.

 

 

Lala steals the show, but Fred saves the day.

Lala made a short and unwelcome appearance yesterday at the annual “Perve Grandma Convention” where she was accused of stealing an art piece by special guest,

By Crossbitch

Fred Le Chevalier. The “Perve Grandma Convention” takes place in Paris to celebrate not just female sexuality, but elderly female sexuality.  “Just because we’re older, doesn’t mean we’ve lost our desire,” says Adrienne Marceau one of the events core coordinators.

Work by Duchasse Anne

These senior citizens join together every year to share their patchwork and hand-knit sweaters in order to raise awareness about the oppression of senior women’s sexuality.

Many thought Lala arrived to support the movement, but quickly realized she was up to no good.  Many guests stated she was visiting artists’ booths asking for ideas or inspiration.  Witnesses later saw Lala approach Jeannette Durand, an elderly woman that had just bought her 12^th Fred Le Chevalier piece.

Made by Crossbitch

Lala violently ripped the art piece from Jeannette Durand’s hands and made a run for the door.   She almost made an escape, but fortunately, Fred Le Chevalier came to the victim’s rescue by stopping Lala in her tracks.  He repossessed the art piece and returned it to its rightful owner.  “He’s my knight in shining armor,” Jeannette stated after the incident.

Jeanette Durand after Fred le Chevalier returned her art piece.

Many guests wanted to call the police and threatened to have Lala thrown in jail once and for all in order to stop her crimes against muses and fellow artists.  However, Fred and Jeanette have both decided not to press charges and Lala roams free, continuing to skulk dark alleyways and hidden galleries, looking for inspiration in all the wrong places.

Based on a Fact

 

The Lala Laboratory

Since the muse crisis, quality undocumented muses have been hard to come by.  Lala continues to refuse documented muse services and is rumored to have had bad luck with recent undocumented musework.  In a drought of inspiration, what is an artist to do?

Lala has kicked off the construction of her new Laboratory called The Lala Lab.  Here, she hopes to create a workshop for visiting artists which includes lodging for both muses and artists in residence.  The laboratory will be sectioned into two parts: one side for the muses, and the other for artists.  Selected Drones will be invited for residency in the Drone Location Research Program.

Lala on phone complaining about the misspelling of her “Drone Location” sign.

“The Laboratory will be a space of research and creation, as well as experimentation,” states Pauline Sager, Lala’s new publicist.  Lala’s team has been wheeling and dealing donors left and right to get the project off the ground (its estimated cost to be well into the hundreds of thousands of euros).  So why is Lala pouring every last penny into a dangerously fruitless endeavor?

Liza Laurence, a journalist for the L.D. Times ran into Lala in the Paris subway last week.  “When I asked (Lala) what her next move would be, she said, ‘I’ve completely drained myself of my own ideas.  That’s why I have always stolen them from others.’  She wrote something down in a notebook and looked up. ‘My muse is gone, and he took my right brain with him.  Time to use the ideas stored on the left side.’”

The strange thing is, Lala seems to be denying muses and adopting artists.  In the past few months, she has been scouted by ZP Productions, and asked to do a series of collaboration pieces with another artist under the pseudonym Midnight 30.  ZP Productions (who is also helping finance the Lala Laboratory) is a company that links artists together in order to create unique series of art.  Hard at work, Lala is also co-writing a performance theater piece titled Art Show with friend Dean James Lovett who commented briefly on the collaboration.  “Lala and I are pretty much on the same track. We’ve just had a meeting, and there is serious potential.”

Is Lala teaming up with other artists in an attempt to overcome muse dependency?  If this is the case, she may be committing an age-old artistic faux pas.  Never use an artist as a muse.  There is an understanding in the community that one is either a muse or an artist, but never both.  Is Lala challenging this conception?  Or is she simply flailing, desperate to feed herself with stolen inspiration wherever she can find it?  Keep checking back to see what else this artist has got hiding up her sleeve.

Based on a Fact

Collin Gerald, 20 Student 

Lala’s Double Life: Hand Dancing

“Nice to meet you.  What do you do?”

–“I’m an artist.”

“That’s great, but what do you do to make money?”

Since the beginning of time, artists have been living double lives.  Until they reach success, or when they fall from it, artists must have another source of income.  Though many know of this concept of the artist’s double-life, the media representation of Lala (and many other artists) is one-dimensional and cliché.  However, I (as I’m sure many other Drones) want to know who Lala is behind the media image.  What is her day-to-day, and what does she do when art isn’t paying the bills?

With much investigation, I found that Lala is a teacher!  Surprisingly, not a painting teacher, but a teacher in the Ancient Art of Hand Dancing.  The art of hand dancing has been passed down from generation to generation in Lala’s family, originating in the Amazons of Venezuela.  Some native Amazonian tribes still practice this custom in mating and religious rituals.  Below, a video of a hand dancing performance by Lala Drona herself, music “Stolen Merchandise” by Optomystic.

Unfortunately, Lala refuses to release information about her hand dancing classes.  However, we interviewed several of her past students (all of which would like to remain anonymous) and they say classes are private and confidential.  She accepts students only on recommendation basis, so you have to know someone who knows someone if you know what I mean.

Based on a Fact

Catherine Weller, 22, Student at Florida State University

Lala, a Liar and a Thief.

Lala’s sudden switch from visual arts to fiction has stunned fans and confused critics, causing many to take a closer look into the artist’s past.  Many are not familiar with story behind the name Lala Drona.  “La ladrona” in Spanish, means “the thief” (feminine).  Lala’s process of creation is one of theft.  She shamelessly steals from others and creates from those experiences.  “Copying is my way of learning,” she told sources at the last FIAC art fair.  She explains that this is how she was forced to learn given her non-academic artistic experience.

Lala (right) after “accident” last February.

This is just one of the many lies that have surfaced since investigating Lala’s past.  As in former articles, we have found Lala to have been a cheerleader gone bad and a vegan supersize me challenge loser.  On Lala Drona forums, some bash the artist for naming her fans Drones, saying that stealing the tactic from Lady Gaga  is just opportunistic and tacky.  Others on the forums come to the artist’s defense and proudly call themselves Drones, saying maybe it’s time to cheer for the “bad guy”.

In February 2013, Lala released photos of herself after an “accident” where she chipped her tooth.  However, rumors have been questioning the real facts behind this supposed accident that only Lala’s entourage witnessed.  Many question if the accident was really a cover-up for a botched lip augmentation (photo above).

More and more researchers are suggesting that Lala’s attempt to make the chipped tooth trendy was in fact stolen and copied from the character Lloyd Christmas in the film Dumb and Dumber.  The resemblance is too uncanny to just be coincidence.

Lala Drona (right)…obvious rip-off of character Lloyd Christmas in film Dumb and Dumber.

Still, many fans hold true to the rising artist despite her seemingly dishonest approach to art.  As time goes, more and more evidence surfaces about a hidden past and possible ulterior motives, but the link between Lala and her Drones holds strong.  This sort of dishonesty may be a perfect storm for an art villain in the making.  Time will only tell whether the artist will find the light, copy until she is able to learn to create from some place pure.  Or, if she will continue to viciously steal and copy, pointing a finger and laughing at those who say, but do not do.

Based on a Fact

Lucy Stewart, Psychology student at the University of Paris- Sorbonne

EXHIBITIONS: From the Streets to the FIAC

Paris has been buzzing with its annual FIAC art fair, gathering high-profile groups of contemporary art collectors, museum curators and international dealers, and even winning international recognition through its rigorous selection process.  Lala Drona followers were proud to have seen prints of the artist’s work exhibited this year by renowned galleries from around the world.  The artist herself visited the fair on Sunday, and although she seemed slightly unamused, she agreed to pose for some photographs in front of her work.

Even stranger, the artist was spotted on the streets with originals of the same work exhibited at the FIAC.  She was first spotted setting up canvases in a busy metro station in the center of Paris, but quickly moved shop to appear in another metro station with fellow artist Dean James Lovett.  The two put on a metro exhibition, laughing over beers and presenting their work.  When beers were finished, they closed up shop and moved outside.

Lala and Dean set up their operation outside the Centre Pompidou where they shared champagne with passerbys and invited them to attend their “art opening.”  Marie Formi a witness to the scene commented on the show, “C’est le veritable art. (It’s real art)” she said. Many others commented on the artists’ show saying the artists would go far.

Although many enjoyed Lala’s street vernissage, critics were not amused with the stunt.  “It’s actually quite tasteless to have her prints selling at the FIAC for thousands, while she stands in the street and sells the originals for next to nothing,” says critic William Stockman from the British Contemporary Art Guild.  “It’s quite the slap in the face for the galleries that have supported her over the years.”

So what exactly is Lala trying to say with this stunt?  Is she pulling a Banksy to make a statement or is she aimlessly continuing her art and rock and roll lifestyle?  Perhaps we will just have to wait and see what else this young artist has got up her sleeve.

Samantha Craig, Faux Pas Magazine

Update on progress: More from “Sexe Sans Sex”

Lala continues working on her “Sexe Sans Sex” series.  This series asks the mind to fill in the blank.  The two styles depicted in this series are abstract and figurative…all sexual in nature.  The mind fills in the information easily with the figurative images, which in turn evokes a strong reaction from the viewer.  Nothing is hidden from the viewer and it is his/her mind that fills in the information to make sense of it.  Despite the popularity of the highly anticipated project, some critics are quite put off by the pieces, saying they are “tasteless, pornographic and easy.”  Other critics are excited and intrigued by the sudden change in theme and style,  “We’ve never seen Lala do something on the lighter side.  I feel so far she is doing quite well balancing between the profound and the trashy,” states art critic Emilio Sande.  When asked by Based on a Fact, Lala simply put her hands up and said, “There is nothing pornographic about these pieces.  You could make up any story you want to make sense of these images.  Your mind sees what it wants to see.”

Three canvases, each an abstract depiction of “female.”

Although the figurative pieces can stand on their own, their juxtaposition to the abstract pieces is what really makes this series interesting.  Despite their more strongly pornographic nature, the onlooker is fooled into staring at the abstract paintings for longer periods of time, feeling comfortable among nonsensical blobs and other forms.  “It’s very interesting seeing their different reactions,” Lala comments on peers seeing her new pieces for the first time.  “I feel like I’m learning more and more about my own series the more I hear others react to it.”

Lala continues to work hard in order to try to stay out of trouble.  She projects to be finished with the series by March 2014.  For now her agent is negotiating the next venue where she will show her work.  More updates to come…

Based on a Fact

Lala has created a monster!

Lala’s new piece “I come in peace.” An abstract expression of female and male, almost destroyed by paper goblin.

            This morning, Lala was spotted speaking to the 94 authorities outside of her apartment.

Paper goblin

Lala claims to have created an art-hungry goblin that now lives inside her apartment and has an insatiable taste for stencil paper and masking tape.  Local authorities arrived to the scene just ten minutes after receiving Lala’s phone call.  Officers left the building chuckling about the endeavor.  “

It really was a cute little monster,” said town councilman Frederick Sosa, who accompanied the authorities.

Paper goblin attacks!

            Lala stated that she is not quite sure why the monster came to life.  “I didn’t do anything different.  I put the used paper and tape in a pile, like I always do when I work.”  Lala recollects hearing strange crumpling noises before seeing the monster devour all the paper and tape in sight.  “That thing ripped the paper and tape straight off of the canvas!”

            The authorities did not find the paper goblin to be a threat, so decisions on what to do with it fall on Lala.  When Based on a Fact asked Lala what’s to come of her new-found friend, she said, “He’s got guts.  I think I’ll let him stay.”

Based on a Fact