The piece was comprised of a book of photographs of the adult sophie stripping alongside cards her parents had received from friends when sophie was born. She then began contacting the peoplein essence, following him through the map of his family, friends, lovers, and acquaintances. Often controversial, calle s projects explore issues of voyeurism, intimacy, and identity as she secretly investigates, reconstructs and documents the lives of strangers whether she is inviting them to sleep in her. First published in french in 1994, quickly acclaimed as a photobook classic and. Sophie calle born 9 october 1953 is a french writer, photographer, installation artist, and conceptual artist. When she returned to paris in 1979, she began a series of projects to familiarize herself with the people of the city, through which she hoped to construct identities by offering documentary proof in the form of photographs. Sophie calle born 1953 creates works exploring the tensions between the observed, the reported, the secret and the unsaid. In a 2008 conversation between artists sophie calle and jill magid, calle noted that lhomme au carnet aka the address book, 1983 was her. The address book, a key and controversial work in sophie calles oeuvre, lies at the epicenter of many layers of reality and fiction. Address book, 1983 was among the first projects to gain public criticism and controversy. The fertile mind of sophie calle the new york times. Using text and photography to correlate both media to create artwork. As gil pasternak observes, in the first six decades of the twentieth century, photographic scholars were primarily interested in highbrow artistic.
Udgivet i forbindelse med udstillingen sophie calle. Apr 10, 2017 over the course of her 38yearlong career, sophie calle has established herself as one of frances most celebrated conceptual artists. In 1981, the artist spent three weeks as a chambermaid in a venice hotel rummaging through guests belongings while they were out. Public open video lecture for the faculty and students of the european graduate school, media and communication studies department program, egs, saasfee, switzerland, europe, 2004. In suite venitienne, sophie calles first artists bookand the crucible of her inimitable and provocative fusion of investigatory methods, fictional constructs, the plundering of real life and the artful composition of selfshe notates, in diaristic, timestamped entries, her surveillance of henri b. In a 2008 conversation between artists sophie calle and jill magid, calle noted that lhomme au carnet aka the address book, 1983 was her only work to date where she went too far. Nov 20, 2012 its fascinating to read the french conceptual artist sophie calles the address book in the age of social media. Her playful lifeasart work doesnt stop with magazine photo shoots. This expanded edition of sophie calles 1994 classic features four new tales. The photograph is only revealed later, hidden in the interstices of the japanese binding. I first tried to contact her in february of this year through the fraenkel gallery in san francisco. Sophie calle investigates the distance between us in. As a further contradiction she states in her introduction to her book true. Having found a lost address book on the street in paris, artist sophie calle copied the pages before returning it anonymously to its owner.
Overwhelmed by curiosity as she turns the pages covered in casual notes, calle decides to make the owners acquaintance, but not with a straightforward meeting. The project, originally published as a serial in the newspaper. Sophie calle is a french artist who has exhibited extensively throughout the world since the late 1970s. The address book, a key and controversial work in sophie calle s oeuvre, lies at the epicenter of many layers of reality and fiction. Born in paris, calle traveled for seven years after completing her studies. She then embarked on a search to come to know this stranger by contacting listed individualsin essence, following him through the. Sophie calles the address book, an excerpt the new yorker. Yet calle was awarded the hasselblad award in 2010 for just that. Set consisting, in the following order, of 2 framed texts, 7 framed pannels containing a text, bw photographs, documents, one colour photograph under plexiglas, one framed text. Sophie calle in her home studio in the paris suburb of malakoff. Sep 30, 2012 the address book, a key and controversial work in sophie calle s oeuvre, lies at the epicenter of many layers of reality and fiction. Variously described as a conceptual artist, a photographer, a movie director, and even a detective, she has developed a practice that is instantly recognizable for its distinct narrative elements and frequent combination of images with text. Her work frequently depicts human vulnerability, and examines identity and intimacy. Take care of yourself is a whip smart, elegant monument to the complicated matter that is romantic communication.
Sophie calle has never been one to tiptoe around private matters. Talking to strangers, whitechapel gallery, london, 16. She undertakes to tell us the reason, or at least one reason, that led her to press the shutter. Dec 15, 2007 i first learned of sophie calle in gregoire boulliers short novel, the mystery guest and then tore through her short book, the address book. The compact intimacy of siglios reedition of suite venitienne is an apt form for calles discreet findings. Mar 24, 2015 for more than 30 years now, sophie calle has engaged in art as provocation. Sophie calles work is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum it is intimate and emotional, it quietly asks you to hold it, almost always as a book, and experience it at your own pace. Sophie calles art mixes image and text to provoke the kind of intense emotional response usually inspired by epic literature or film. The rogue detective collected her findings into a photo book, implicating her readers in her voyeuristic habits. City lights bookstore 261 columbus avenue and ars citizen celebrate sophie calle with a reception and book signing in connection with her exhibit missing.
For more than 30 years now, sophie calle has engaged in art as provocation. With blind, french conceptual artist sophie calle born 1953 revisits three earlier works constructed around the idea of blindness. Of sophie to boarding school when he came to visit my mother, would sit on expectantly at him. Rachel monique is a highly personal and moving book, intimate and universal in its expressions of mourning and memory. Featuring a stamped pink metallic cover, multiple paper changes, special boundin booklets. Sophie calle is a french writer, photographer, installation artist, and conceptual artist. Oct 08, 2012 sophie calles the address book, an excerpt. She called some people from the book and derived an imaginative sketch of the diarys owner on the basis of what people said about him. Paris, france, 1953 uses the mediums of photography, video, film, books, text, and performance to pursue her sociological and autobiographical investigations. The moment of shooting gathers a multitude of thoughts that intertwine with space perception and result in a photograph. When she returned to paris in 1979, she began a series of projects to familiarize herself with the people of the city, through which she hoped to construct identities by offering documentary proof in the form of photogra. Sophie calle is getting ready to publish one of her early controversial works, the address book, in book form in english for the first time, with art book imprint siglio press.
Her most extraordinary works address rather ordinary human tendencies, from the morbid curiosity informing lhomme au carnet the address book, 1983 to the amorous betrayal of douleur exquise exquisite pain, 19842003, but calle knows how to up the. Sophie calles controversial address book will be published. Perhaps her most contentious work, address book 1983 was inspired by an address book. Sophie callethe address book the eye of photography.
Having found a lost address book on the street in paris, calle copied the pages before returning it anonymously to its owner. The book form creates space for the reader to make a third trail against and through those of henri b. Book signing with sophie calle fort mason center for. In this remarkable artists book, french conceptual artistprovocateur sophie calle presents 107 outside interpretations of a breakup email she received from her lover the day he ended their affair. Many of her works juxtapose writing and photography to question. Over the course of her 38yearlong career, sophie calle has established herself as one of frances most celebrated conceptual artists.
In les aveugles the blind, created in 1986, she questioned blind people on their representation of beauty. Often controversial, calles projects explore issues of voyeurism, intimacy, and identity. Sophie calle investigates the distance between us in suite. The reader provides a critical tool for navigating sophie calles image and text work from 1979 to the present, bringing together interviews with the artists, critical commentaries by a read more. Sophie calle, mastu vue sophie calle, christine macel. Although almost simultaneous, these thoughts precede the image. Its fascinating to read the french conceptual artist sophie calles the address book in the age of social media. It is with the story, the one preceding the click of the shutter but also of the brain when an idea pops into it that sophie calle opens because. This comprehensive retrospective of sophie calle not only celebrates the breadth of her iconoclastic work but also leads to a deeper understanding of her unique artistic vision. Sophie calle has 50 books on goodreads with 8121 ratings.
Sophie calle was born into an intellectual and creative household in 1953 paris, where she experienced an unconventional childhood. The reader provides a critical tool for navigating sophie calle s image and text work from 1979 to the present, bringing together interviews with the artists, critical commentaries by a read more. While wandering the streets of paris, sophie calle finds an address book with an enticing red cover. Calles work is distinguished by its use of arbitrary sets of constraints, and evokes the french literary movement of the 1960s known as oulipo. In her work, she has attempted to metaphorically seduce her. This community page is administrated by claire duchesne in agreement with the artist and galerie perrotin. Sophie calle had accidently found a telephone number diary on the street which she used for her work. Calle s work is distinguished by its use of arbitrary sets of constraints, and evokes the french literary movement of the 1960s known as oulipo. Mar 07, 2009 sophie calles art mixes image and text to provoke the kind of intense emotional response usually inspired by epic literature or film. She then embarked on a search to come to know this stranger by contacting listed individualsin essence, following him through the map. In an email, i requested an interview with calle for a book.
Apr 10, 2017 sophie calle in her home studio in the paris suburb of malakoff. Peruse the aisles to pick up copies of calles books, which include the highly lauded true stories and sophie calle. In the early nineteeneighties, the french artist sophie calle, who is known. Sep 23, 2009 from following a stranger to venice to burying her mothers jewellery at the north pole, sophie calle is frances foremost artist of the unexpected wed 23 sep 2009 16. Her work often incorporates elements of voyeurism, surveillance, and personal narrative to explore the nature of love, intimacy, violence and death. From following a stranger to venice to burying her mothers jewellery at the north pole, sophie calle is frances foremost artist of the unexpected wed.
She then began contacting the peoplein essence, following him through the map of his family, friends, lovers, and. This event is in tandem with missing, a thoughtful survey of calles. Her oncologist father, robert calle, was a renowned art collector and former director of the nimes carre dart, a contemporary art museum. I first learned of sophie calle in gregoire boulliers short novel, the mystery guest and then tore through her short book, the address book. Sophie calle the address book 2009 available for sale. The work of conceptual artist sophie calle embraces numerous media. Sophie calle is an artist who uses text, photographs and some say performance to make. The detective in april 1981, at my request, my mother wc. A controversial figure as well as one of frances leading conceptual artists, sophie calle explores her own psychological and emotional terrain in multimedia works, probing ideas of control, freedom, gender, intimacy, and distance in human relationships.
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