10 Questions with Marie Marchandise

AL-TIBA9 ART MAGAZINE ISSUE11 | FEATURED ARTIST

Marie Marchandise is a 27 years old photographer and art director living in Toulouse, southern France. When she was a child, she wanted to be a poet. Growing up, she was obsessed with the fact that she actually wanted to be helpful: she wanted to be a vet, a psychologist, or a lawyer.

With photography, she combines the inherent desire of her first dream job as a child and her inner need developed from her teenage years to adulthood: when she tells stories through photographs with brands, designers, and creatives, she contributes to a bigger picture. 

On a personal level, she loves exploring new artistic techniques, sometimes that she invents herself, as she feels that, by doing so, she lets her inner child out and hopes that what she creates allows people to escape, even just for a few minutes.

She has been published several times in international magazines, and it is an honor to know that people from all over the world have seen her work. If you feel something when looking at her photographs, it means that her job is done; if you are inspired, motivated, looking for something new thanks to them, this is more than she could ever dream of.

chezvouschezmoi.wordpress.com | @chezvouschezmoi

Movements | DESCRIPTION

"Movements" is a two part photoshoot that took place between Paris and Toulouse. It is a remote photo shoot whose photos resulting from it were printed and assembled in different collages.

It is a collective work, with a team composed of: Michelle Tshibola, artist, seamstress, and owner of the brand Michelle TSM2, Agnès Tassel, model, Hugo Bardin, hair artist, Océane Susini, make up artist, and Marie Marchandise, photographer and art director.

The work is centered on how to catch movements when you are a chronically ill and quarantined artist, and so, how you can reproduce movements and motions through abstract compositions. As a vulnerable person suffering from a chronic illness, this quarantine made me wonder how I could still work with a team and photograph movements. Catching movements is indeed what I enjoy the most in photography.

That's how I decided to create handmade collages at home with photographs that had previously been taken. These different artistic compositions enabled me to create specific movements and motions, find another type of energy and let my imagination run wild.

Through my work, I want to remind people that there are other ways to work as a photographer and that chronically ill artists must have access to creatively fulfilling opportunities.

Publications featuring the artist

INTERVIEW

First of all, introduce yourself to our readers. What is your background, and how did you get interested in art?

I’m an art director and photographer living in Toulouse (Southern France), and I have an orphan disease named “Takayasu’s arteritis.” 

When I was 17, I started a blog about my daily life in Toulouse. I’ve had the opportunity to meet designers, craftspersons, and creatives working there. To me, they’re above all artists. This was an incredible occasion, as I felt so privileged to discover their studios, where the magic happens. At first, I only wanted to catch details through my camera: their gestures and their ideas being materialized. After a while and through a lot of passionate discussions, I’ve begun to develop an interest in storytelling: I wanted to tell stories with what they produce, imagine short tales, try new techniques inherently related to their crafts. Each of the different editorials is by nature related to their work. From then on, I started to explore through different creative processes. I wanted to dig deeper, and go through different techniques, and try new ways of conceiving art. 

Besides, when the diagnosis concerning my disease was made, my love for art strengthened as I’ve been able to express so many emotions thanks to it. 

As a child, you dreamt of being a poet. How did you get involved with photography? And what do you wish you knew about life as a photographer before you got started?

When I was younger, I was extremely anxious about the time passing by. I wanted to take as many photographs as possible with my family's compact camera to collect all the moments from my life. Little by little, photography has taken a great place in my life. I remember how I've become more and more fascinated by the concept. Then, at 17 (a few months before opening my blog), things got serious as my amazing family offered me a bridge camera. I've learned so much more with it, and I've loved to do it by myself, through a lot of intense tests and observations. Then, as I practiced more and became more comfortable, the details and moments I'd catch have become finer and plural, and it was more satisfying for me, and I've started to be a little less anxious. Photography is so wholesome and soothing for me, and I'm still honored and amazed to practice this craft, even only from a personal perspective. 

Through the years, I've learned several lessons regarding how open the artistic world is. I also discovered truths about the importance of relationships and learned discernment about the fact that it's not a profession conditional to love or hate. Besides, what has become evident and important is the fact that it's also all a business.

Regarding how open the artistic world is, when I started ten years ago, I remember how shy, insecure and self-conscious I was because of the main image I had of this job, which was mirrored to me. 

First, I remember that when I started, it didn't make any sense for the older photographers that I'd met to be a self-taught photographer. Such as not attending any art school, not going to Paris or Arles (the two French "biggest cities" about photography) were a non-sense. I basically was a joke to them and, I've received a lot of harsh criticism, whereas all I wanted was to talk about my passion and meet new people. As I still don't possess a "full" gear with numerous and very expensive tools, that I don't own a studio and that I don't make a living out of photography, I still get judged, sometimes. Except that today, I don't care. For years, I was so focused on the image that older photographers had of me that it was as if they were all part of a club that I wanted to join. To the point that I've said to myself: "if you're not like them, you're not a photographer, you're not an artist." I've gaslighted and convinced myself that there was only one type of photographer. This very unique, very specific typology depended on unreachable objectives that I somehow still had to complete. I suffered a lot from that. 

The thing that I know now is that there isn't one type only of photographer or artist. If someone tells you that, you must run away as soon as you can from that person. It's already a privilege to take photographs, to have a small machine that enables you to keep a lot of instants forever, don't ruin everything because of other people's over-the-top, pretentious, classist, and over-advantaged perspectives and existences.

Whatever the type of camera, your relationship with arts, your learning process and technique, whatever your vision and how you express your creativity, whatever your status: there are as many professionals and pathways as there are people. I've learned that the art world is richer than it seems and that it needs that richness. Desperately.

The second thing that I wish I knew when I started concerns the importance of relationships. When I began, I thought there was a common myth about the "self-made person" regarding artists. It was supposed to mean that you were totally responsible for all your "failures" (for whatever "to fail" means regarding arts), that if you didn't "make it", it was because of your talent, because of you. There is nothing more incorrect than this belief because when it comes to opportunities in the art world, it's always a question of whether people will open their worlds to you or not. How dependent on each other we are is now crystal clear to me. From the people you work with during a photoshoot to your followers on Instagram and your publisher, it's about your vision and ("and" must be underlined and highlighted here) how the people you share your vision will receive it. It might be basically just like saying water is wet, but the art world is all about social construction: what we build together. And the great news is that there are so many connections that can be made. 

For instance, a few years ago, I've reconnected with my penpal Maya Hassa, who is now a Montreal-based DJ, writer, journalist, and part of the editorial team of Also Cool Mag, an arts and music online magazine created by Malaika Astorga and Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter, based in Canada. I was so honored when Maya published an editorial that I'd made in Toulouse, and this opportunity was an occasion to discover and connect with many great artists from around the world. 

Another example is my relationship with Isaac Taylor Shane. Isaac and I have both been published in the same independent magazine. As soon as I saw their work, I instantly reached out on Instagram. I discovered the life and universe of an artist, an editor-in-chief, a business person, someone who deeply cares about their community and always wants to challenge themselves by reaching new goals while doing all of it alone. Isaac is always open and ready to work with you, and it's amazing to have met someone like them. 

Besides, I've also met entrepreneurs and other creatives totally randomly. 
I've met my friend, journalist, podcast creator, founder, and editor-in-chief of Izhar Magazine, Balkis Hmida, thanks to an Instagram sticker as her account was tagged on it. Balkis is someone who roots for you while working very hard. She's not an Aries (she's a Leo), but she always will ram through obstacles and go the extra mile concerning both her projects and the persons she supports. 
I discovered the work of Breahna, thanks to my friend Flo, whom I also met online, for Flo had shared Breahna's work on Instagram. After following Breahna, I discovered that she creates zines, a medium that I didn't know well before, and I was so happy to learn more about her art, this process, and its history. 

To sum it up, what I want to highlight by presenting how I discovered Also Cool Mag and how I virtually met Isaac, Balkis, Flo, and Breahna, is that you can get in touch with extraordinary persons, people who dedicate their careers to arts and media, simply by paying a little attention to who they are, what they do, and by sending them an online message. It's only a matter of staying open-minded and knowing that you can meet new people with a tag or a name printed on something. 
These connections are multiple, and each of them is a new occasion to develop projects, work with different persons, and be positively influenced. They show that there are more possibilities than you could ever know. The more people you'll know, the more you'll find persons who are responsive to your vision, to what you'll bring to the world. As my friend Léa said: "The soil is fertile. We just have to plant seeds and wait and see."

The third lesson I've learned is, in a way, related to relationships: it's about the feedback you receive concerning your work. When it comes to sharing my work, I was always extremely anxious about hearing "I hate your work," "your work is garbage," "your work is terrible to me." With time, I've learned that it's not about love or hate, but it's about sensitivity. It's about whether you're on the same length wave with the people who see your work and about what they see in it. With time, I've recognized constructive feedback such as "I prefer your previous work because I could see your touch more clearly in it," or "I'm sorry I'm not sensitive to your universe," rather than "Your work is crappy." It's important to draw the distinction, especially because of Instagram and its algorithm. We've become more and more sensitive to the "I like it, I like it not" responses.

The fourth and final lesson I've learned is that photography is a business, which means that every photoshoot you'll ever make has specific requirements: legal, insurance, payments, organization, project monitoring, device, casting, and directing the staff and crew you'll work with, production, PR. Modest photoshoot, intimate photoshoot, big photoshoot: each one requires a meticulous organization and must be monitored. It does take a lot of time to organize a photo session. Besides, I shouldn't say it because it should be obvious, but you must get paid for each of these tasks even if you're a Jack-of-all-trades who will take care of everything and be in charge of the organization, the follow-up, the execution, and the publication. Don't get fooled by people urging you to "just do the photoshoot" or people saying to you that "it's quick and easy". Not because today we have the ability to take a billion shots per second does it mean that a photoshoot must be made as quickly as a flash. As a photographer, you're an artist, and your work must be taken seriously. You're not the "sensitive" person working with someone who might take advantage of you or overlook every fundamental detail that you must achieve. 

Can you tell us about the process of creating your work? What aspect of your work do you pay particular attention to?

First, I mapped out what I'd had in mind concerning the different collages: I wrote all my ideas down concerning the theme and how I could materialize it. Then, I created a mood board and noted the different poses that Agnès (the model) should perform. Next, Michelle (the fashion designer) and I chose the different outfits for the photoshoot, and then, the team gathered in Paris, prepared the staging, and took care of Agnès' hair and makeup.

I used a remote photo shoot app named Clos to take all the pictures. Then, I retouched the photographs, printed the ones I would use for the collages, and started to cut and experiment! Each of the different collages you see is handmade. Nothing has been glued as I wanted to put them outside and wait for the wind to blow the different pieces of fabric. Then, when I put everything in place: the backdrop, the different cutouts, and the pieces of fabric, I took different pictures of the results. I paid particular attention to the execution, meaning the different collages. I wanted my ideas to be materialized accurately and the results to be as clear as the ones I had in mind. 

In your series "Movements," you used previously taken photographs to create collages. How did you come up with this way of creating your works?

Through the years, I've been experimenting with different ways to create handmade filters, effects, collages, ways of coloring because I think you can do everything with photography: you can study by yourself the relationship with light, mirrors, and lenses, you can dye your prints, you can DIY and conceive different implements. I'm in awe of all the possibilities this art offers. I'm learning to use different materials that I already have at home, such as aluminum foil, oranges, and lemons' net. Exploring and creating with what I have is an exhilarating feeling. I really love working with preexisting printed photographs because I think the limits are infinite and, it makes me jump-start my imagination and expands it.  

The series results from your experience during the confinement due to quarantine. How did you manage to turn such an alone time into a collective project? 

My quarantine was another reminder of how nonexistent the access to work and opportunities for chronically ill persons is. I wanted to continue to plan photoshoots, but the only option was on-site photo sessions. I had to explain my condition, and again the same old story kept being repeated: I was reminded of how inconvenient it is, of how fragile I am. When you hear all over the same things when it comes to your condition and see that nothing changes, you want to go off the tracks and find means that do not jeopardize your health. I follow Delphine Montera's example. She is an editor and writer who created the account AutisteQueer LeDocu on which she tackles political issues regarding autism. She said: "I'm sick and tired of having to adapt myself in the able-bodied world" This really motivates me to plan this photoshoot. 

Agnès (the model) also motivated me a lot and introduced me to "Clos", the app I used to do the photoshoot. I will continue to use this app, as working like this helped me practice photography at my own pace and in a comfortable environment, which is necessary for me. 
In a way, I wanted to mentally escape without going out; I wanted to go deeper into my own imagination and to invite people into my little world while staying at home. 

What is the most challenging part of your work? And where do you find inspiration?

The most challenging part for me was cutting the different printed photographs. Cutting paper is such a precise craft, and I didn't want to mess up with the outlines! 
I found inspiration in Rachel Isabelle's work, who is a person that influences me so much. She is a multidisciplinary artist living in London. Her collages are what I love the most concerning her work: she creates portraits blended with landscapes. Each face is completed by panoramas, each composition shows an impressive depth and is thought-provoking regarding the notion of identity, nature, and roots. I admire Rachel's sincerity as much as I love the fineness of her gripping work. She motivated me to spark my imagination and to focus on this project. 

Over the past 12 months, we have witnessed a growing number of online exhibitions and live events. So what do you think of the recent changes in the art world? Do you miss the art world as it was before the pandemic, or do you see more opportunity now?

I'm so thrilled that these changes occurred and, I hope it's not a one-off phenomenon. There are so many new pathways to develop, new ways of sharing your work, new crafts to develop. I don't miss the art world as it was before the pandemic, and I'm glad to have virtually met amazing people paving the way to make the art industry more open, such as Kahiah Polidore. Kahiah is a photographer and design and media professor living in Atlanta. She is also the owner and curator of the Doré Art Collective, an accessible online space on which she manages her own art gallery, published artists' interviews, directory, and resources. She has organized an exhibition concerning my series "Movements", and I'm so grateful to her for this opportunity. Kahiah offers the possibility to be featured on the Doré Art Collective as she has published the submissions' guidelines on her website. Kahiah is someone who has an artistic sensitivity and always takes a fresh look at creatives' perspectives and lets them share their insights. 

What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future? Anything exciting you can tell us about?

I'm working on different submissions to share Movements as much as I can, to spread the word and let people know that different ways of working as a photographer exist. I will soon be collaborating on an editorial with Meg J Gardner, a fashion designer who creates incredibly elegant and refined garments. Each of her designs is handmade and hand beading. I love her approach to textiles. I hope we together will tell new stories and that the photographs would be a real appreciation of her work, rendering all of her fineness.

What do you hope to accomplish this year, both in terms of career goals and personal life? 

I hope to meet other creatives, craftspersons, and artists to create altogether new stories, new editorials, and different ways to express a message and emotions. And from a personal perspective, I hope that I'll be able to explore and discover different artistic techniques. 

Finally, share something you would like the world to know about you?

If an artist would love to be mentored or/and would love to be featured on my blog, they can get in touch, and I'll be happy to help them! Last but not least, I would love to thank the team of Altiba 9 for this amazing opportunity, as well as Maya Hassa, Malaika Astorga, Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter, Isaac Taylor Shane, Balkis Hmida, Breahna, Flo, Léa, Delphine Montera, Rachel Isabelle, Kahiah Polidore, and Meg J Gardner.