Sophie Calle - docu.

Yet another documentary this week, and this time it was about Parisian artist, Sophie Calle. This was one of the first documentaries where I actually knew of the artist prior to watching, so it was really interesting to gain further insight into her life outside her artistic practice. The documentary itself wasn't my favourite - I don't love the particular style of interviewing various people and having actors recreate scenarios - however, the content was interesting. Additionally, I also picked up on some really engaging quotes which helped me to understand Calle and her artwork better, such as that "she blurs the lines between life and art", through making her practice her life. She did this by focusing on conceptual art, from spending all night on top of the Eiffel Tower, to an exhibition called 'Exquisite Pain' which was an in depth exploration into her own personal heartbreak. The use of imagery of her "blurring the lines" suggests to me that she is doing something radical; something never done before and perhaps even something that could be frowned upon in society. She is revolutionising the art world and what it means to be an artist.

Sophie Calle's whole life was centred around her artistic practice. Sometimes, she even followed a 'chromatic diet', where she ate single-coloured foods only for an entire week. However, the most intense way that she incorporated art into her life, was via her interesting in voyeurism, stalking and generally just watching others. When she first moved to Paris, she was lonely and had little to do all day. So, to entertain herself and to indulge her intrigue in stalking, she went out with her camera and notebook everyday, and simply followed around a subject. She noted down the places she had been and made speculation about her subject's lives. Additionally, she even got a job in a hotel, in order to look at guest's possessions and make up stories about them, based off of what she found. Calle did all this simply because she loved the drama of it - from both sides. The drama of being watched and the drama of watching. Moreover, she was

attracted to the one-sided element of stalking, and how there was no danger in it for her, as there was no reciprocity. I found this way of approaching art very engaging since I tend to lean away from traditional studio work. Inspired by Calle, I have been filming a second-long snippet of my days, and editing them together to create almost a flip-book of my life. It is like voyeurism, however it it this time the audience stalking me - seeing where I go and what I do every single day. Moreover, it links into Calle's obsession with trying to piece together a story about someone's life, but never quite knowing. The viewer only gets to see a single second of my day and they'll never know the complete story.

Overall, I throughly enjoyed learning about Sophie Calle's earlier practice, which I wasn't as familiar with. It really inspired me to think about how I approach art, and to create some pieces that I probably wouldn't have otherwise. Going forward, I would love to look further into incorporating my practice into my life more, and making art out of more everyday scenarios.