SANDRINE ESTRADE-BOULET
There Is Potential In Everything To Become Art Words: Nicky Baird The second of our Red Stripe Artists Sandrine Estrade-Boulet tells us how she makes the mundain and ordinary extraordinary. Where do you live?
I live near Paris in place called Boulogne-Billancourt.
Tell us a little about your work?
My work aims to make the ordinary seem extraordinary, to make the mundane stand out. I see potential in everything, things that have been forgotten, details that other people would not notice such as the marks and indentation on a wall. The pace of life today is so fast that things are easily missed. I see life in 360 degrees and it’s fun, my work is humorous and designed to entertain. Some people call what I am doing street art but I find this label too restrictive. I live by Matisse’s maxim, ‘the world is full of flowers for those who want to see them’.
When did you realise you had a talent?
I drew a lot as a little girl, doodling on my school books. I was fascinated by everything, the clouds as much as the stains on the sofa. My father was an amateur photographer and my mother painted sometimes so I grew up surrounded by art. My Granny used to take me to exhibitions too, the first and most memorable being an exhibition of works by Modigliani. It was after I finished school that I went to art school in Paris, Ecole Boulle followed by Ecole Estinne.
What inspires you?
A lot- everyday life is inspiring! I am fascinated by creative people, whether they are artists, architects or musicians. I am also inspired by music, particularly that of David Bowie, Gainsbourg and The Smashing Pumpkins as well as artists including Peter Blake, Tim Burton, Lucian Freud, and French artist, Alain Bublex. Everything can be inspiring - even sitting in a café. I have also just finished reading a fascinating book about Rosa Bouglione, at 100 years old, the oldest member of the famous Bouglione family who first performed ‘The Winter Circus’ in 1852. Circus performers are entertainers and are closely related to artists in my view.
What are the tools of your trade and what do use them for?
My tools are my camera and my computer as well as paint, brushes and light clay. I like to use materials that kids would use and to mix materials such as photography and clay. I also collect things I have found on the street and draw around them. But who knows, maybe tomorrow I’ll say that I want to paint on canvas!
Do you have any notable fans?
Maybe, maybe not, who cares! If David Bowie wants to be my fan though, then bring it on! It’s silly to look for fame. I have had Facebook fans coming up to me during exhibitions of my work, however, which is great, and so encouraging.
Tell us something no one knows about you?
When I was younger I used to think I was from another planet and that I had been adopted by my parents. I waited for my real parents to come down from the sky to take me back with them! I grew out of this belief when I became a teenager.
Do you have any UK shows coming up?
No- I wish, but maybe in future, who knows! I like the UK a lot and have recently been working on a series of photographs of London.
Tell me about the piece you have made for Who’s Jack? How did you come up with the idea and how did you make it?
With the theme of game changers in mind I went out with my camera and found a sign with a man digging (the ones that are put up when building work is taking place) out on the street. I took a picture of it and altered it on the computer to make it appear as though the man is digging a brain and is therefore a brain digger. I did it because when you want to find other ways to express yourself or find solution, you have to dig your brain, think differently and see under the surface. You need to go deeper, dig in a different direction and this is what my image represents. My piece is also a tribute to street art because it was a major ‘game changer’ for the art scene. I saw the theme as a way to try to find a different way to express my ideas. I took inspiration too from Marcel Duchamp, who once said that you can be an artist without having anything special. Technology is an amazing thing, having the potential to create and re-create and to make something unique. I’m also thinking about making the piece in real life too, not just digitally. Find out more about Sandrine at www.sandrine-estrade-boulet.com Find out more about the Red Stripe project at www.redstripe.net