“Retouching is the new censorship,” says Lala

Last night before Paris’ Nuit Blanche (an artistic event that lasts all night once a year) Lala Drona posted a behind the scenes look at the preparation for her performance “Don’t Retouch This.”

Internet Drones everywhere started buzzing and met up with Lala later that night for the debut of the artistic campaign.  She was spotted around Paris asking passer-byes to hold a sign saying “don’t retouch this” over a part of their body they didn’t think was perfect.  The idea was to denounce the unobtainable ideal of perfection the media sells…and to accept ourselves the way we are.

Critics noticed that Lala held the sign in front of her chest almost the entire night.  “Lala has been struggling with the idea of perfection in our society since her breast reconstruction.  This is a part of her journey to self-acceptance,” states Kit Feller, New York art critic.

Onlookers were surprised and animated by the performance.  “I want to do this with my friends,” said Florence Sibot, an onlooker at the Nuit Blanche.  “I think she is might be starting a movement here.”  Since last night’s performance, 20 documented #dontretouchthis videos have been published online.  A good start for the campaign.

Based on a Fact

SCANDAL: Lala fakes hypnosis video to steal donations

Straight out of jail and back to her old tricks.  Lala Drona was caught stealing donations with a fake sleep hypnosis video.  The full video has been flagged and removed from Youtube, but you can still find a clip of it below.  Since the video had been up for over a week, there’s no telling how much money Lala has stolen from innocent insomniacs everywhere.

Tyler Perkins, coffee bean researcher.

Preview of newest piece

A preview of Lala Drona’s newest (and unfinished) addition to her series Sexe Sans Sex.  Being the second time Lala has included animals in her series, Drones are not exactly shocked.  What’s shocking is Lala’s plan to create a sexually stimulated animal.  “This cat will in fact have an erection,” the artist stated in a correspondence with Based on a Fact.  What’s more, the artist plans to add faux-fur to the cat’s arm, so that onlookers can interact with the piece by petting the cat.  Though some may think Lala is perhaps tip-toeing on the line of bestiality, she quotes that “it is all in good fun.”  The elderly woman in the piece was inspired by someone Lala saw at a cat show when visiting another small city in France.  Keep a lookout for more updates on Lala Drona, her adventures and of course, her art.

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Kevin Goggins, 20 journalism student

Adopt a Bee, save the Drones.

It seems Lala Drona is inviting her Drones to protect another type of drone: Bee drones.  Since the disappearances of these tiny creatures world-wide, countries such as France and Germany have decided to ban pesticides that have been implicated in the death of bees.  Since this ban, the disappearances have stopped and bees seem to be thriving in their habitats.

Some species of bees have grown up to 40 times their size says Johanne Matien, a French apiologist.  “They are getting bigger and bigger.  The bees have gone from flying rats to flying cats in just one year!”  Despite this anomaly, there seems to be minimal danger in the rapid bee growth.  “The bees are rather pacifists and will not attack unless threatened,” Johanne explains.  There has only been one human death since the rapid bee growth and when put to trial, was ruled out an accident.

The only real problem has been the amount of injured or sick bees abandoned by their hive.  Every weekend in the Jardin des Plantes, the entomology department from the University of Paris sets up stands that put rescued bees up for adoption.  Lala Drona was spotted at one of these tents last weekend, interested in adopting a bee.  Lala asked many questions and posed for photos, however, witnesses did not catch her actually adopting a bee. 

Some say Lala made an appearance at the adoption tent as a publicity stunt in order to improve her image.  Others say this queen bee has always been concerned about her drones, whether they are human, bee or machine and has depicted these ideas in images.  Whatever intentions she may have, one thing is true.  Lala is raising long-due awareness about a crucial change in our environment.

Based on a Fact

 

Ophelia Lemos, 35 park security manager  

Lala makes a buck off a blast from the past

Lala Drona reported that while in Colorado she would not be participating in any gallery showings of her work.  However, Drones were both pleasantly surprised and disappointed to see a spontaneous private show…in the form of

a garage sale.

In front of what we believe to be her family home, passer-byes found a blast from the past.  Lala exhibited works which she described as B.L., or Before Lala (works she did as a kid). Here she exhibited her first ever acrylic painting The Ant, completed at the age of fourteen years old.

Lala’s work displayed on the driveway.

Other works included drawings from her first ever series of portraits which she completed at the age of fifteen.  The idea for the series was quite simple, as it was the first time Lala blended text with visual art. (Examples below.)

“The Ant,” Lala’s first acrylic painting.

 

It seems critics have very mixed reviews, some applauding the artist’s humility in displaying her art in front of her home and revisiting her pre-Lala years.  Others have commented that the display is yet another insult to galleries which display and sell Lala’s pieces, that she is giving the finger to the elitist types that buy her art at extravagant prices.  Whether one story is truer than the other, one thing is certain.  Through this display, she has given us a more complete picture of her development as an artist, and in turn, more puzzle pieces to discover who Lala Drona is.

Based on a Fact

Demi Gallegos, 55 Homemaker