True Stories
Back of the Book
First published in 1994 and regularly reissued and expanded since, True Stories returns for the seventh time with eight new stories. Calle’s projects have frequently drawn on episodes from her own life, but this book―part visual memoir, part meditation on the resonances of photographs and belongings―is as close as she has come to producing an autobiography, albeit one highly poetical and fragmentary, as is characteristic of her work. The tales―never longer than a page―are by turns lighthearted, humorous, serious, dramatic or cruel. Each is accompanied by an image; each offers a fragment of life. By turns serious, hilarious, dramatic or cruel, these real-life tales represent a form of work in progress recounting fragments of her life.
Why You Should Read It
Sophie Calle defies chronology and structure to create the portrait of an artist in True Stories. Part photobook and part memoir, it seems to be the only way, once read, to have gained an understanding of the artist as a complete entity—who she is and the work she has done, inseparable and defining one another. Calle’s humour becomes the cornerstone of the reflections on objects, her life with her husband and her understanding of love at once being revolutionized through the act of being in love. Calle’s observations inform her art and the self she is engaged with, and echo contemporary photographer/memoirists such as Moyra Davey and Patti Smith, but her sunnier outlook on the process of art making and keeping make for the sort of read one would like to peruse on a hot summer day.
Memorable Passage
My bedroom window gives on to a pasture. In the pasture there are bulls, and with the bulls, tick birds. On the left, the branches of a weeping willow. In the distance, a row of ash and tamarisk trees. There are egrets and the occasional stork. Nothing remarkable, and yet, this grassland glows. I couldn’t begin to count the hours I’ve spent looking out at it, through the mosquito net. This meadow, framed by the window, is the image that my eyes have photographed more than any other. It is the view of my life.
About the Author
Sophie Calle is a French conceptual artist and writer whose groundbreaking work blurs the boundaries between art and everyday life. Born in 1953, Calle has become renowned for her innovative and deeply personal projects that often involve elements of voyeurism, surveillance, and introspection. Her unique brand of art incorporates photography, installation, and performance, frequently inviting viewers into her world with a rare intimacy. Calle's notable works include The Hotel and The Detective, where she transformed her personal experiences into captivating narratives. Her ability to seamlessly blend art with autobiography, exploring themes of love, loss, and the intricacies of human relationships, sets her apart as a distinctive voice in contemporary art. Sophie Calle is worth knowing not only for her avant-garde artistic contributions but also for her fearless exploration of the intersections between life, art, and the human psyche. Her influence has resonated globally, challenging traditional artistic boundaries and prompting viewers to reconsider their own connections to the world around them.
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Dana Boulos