Interview with Véro Sénéchal

q)Let’s start with the basics; what's your full name, where do you live, and how old are you?

a)Véro Sénéchal (Pilté), I live in Paris and I was born in 1974.

q) Do you have any formal training?

a)I have a full classical training : I graduated in Paris in Art history. And for my practice, I have a diploma related to craft and sculpture with synthesis materials.

q) Did the place you grew up in influence your image making?

a)My mother and her own father used to paint a lot, for pleasure. When I was a kid we would go all together to major museums like the Louvre or the Musée d'Orsay. We used also to make drawing contests during the holidays. But I think that what influenced me the most was the world filled with objects that surrounded my mother ( she had always so many and diverse collections on) and the fact that my father was always pottering things.

q) How do you come up with your concepts?

a)I always have a note book in my pocket. So I can write my ideas in any places. when I am at an exibition for exemple , or when I look at a book or even in the metro. I use it mainly for photo-paintings. But in general I just empty my mind. I look at a picture and I immediately catch an idea. If I don't, then I move quickly to the next one. As regard as the collage, it's a bit the same but it depends more on the material I have. I like old magazines from the 40s 60s as well as medical books.

q) Describe your creations in a clear, concise and understandable sentence. What do you call
them ?

a)I work around three different areas:sizing erotical magazines, or postcard "Fancy type", pictures painting, (painting on old prhotographs) putting together objects (insects, tiny plastical objects) flower, pearls...in balloon-shaped glass frames and bell-shaped made of glass.

q)What other mediums would you like to explore in your image making?

a)I would like to dig into photoshop and make a series of picture-cuttings. I also started recently in self-portraits on a Polaroïd.

q)What is the best time in the day for you to work on a project? Is there one, or is it more about the environment -- maybe the right mood?

a)I prefer the evening, up to late at night.

q) What are your artistic influences?...and …generally who or what influences you the most?

a)It really started all when I met with my husband, Jean-Kristau… He has been making images for a long time and he was connected with a group of editing artists (Le dernier cri). He co-created an association called Gotoproductions. I personnaly had been more connected to the music scene but when we met up, it has been a trigger. He gave me confidence and made me discover many artists. Eversince we organise exhibitions together and participate to various projects.

q) Who are some of your favourite artists/designers/photographers?

a)Duchamp, Hans Bellmer, Max Ernst (for his collages), Rauschenberg et John Cage. Recently Darger, The Clayton brothers, William Eggleston, Nan Goldin, Annette Messager, David Lynch (for his movies of course), and the others : Philip K. Dick, Bret Easton Ellis...

q) What is your next project?Exhibition?Collaboration?

a)A collective exhibition I am part of is ending at the end of the month. I am preparing the next one for septembre – with the association Le dernier Cri. And then we expect to do another collective exhibition in november-december that would be all about collages, with Jean-Kristau, Fredox, Laetitia Brochier, and few others…

q)What are your plans for the future?

a)I would really like to publish my photo-paintings. I want to keep creating as much as today. The plan is to start the photo project on computers and to make as well a web site with Jean-Kristau


q)Are there some web sites that You would like to recomend? Artists, art communities, xxx,...!?

a) http://www.lederniercri.org/
http://julieetauguste.free.fr/index.html
http://www.leoquievreux.net/
http://www.plonkreplonk.ch/

q)What sort of music do you listen to?

a)John Cage, Phil Minton, FM Einheit (Einstürzende Neubauten), Roxy Music, Can, This heat, T-Rex, Silverapples, Suicide, Ground Zéro, MKB, Tarwater, To Rococorot, Pan Sonic, Radiohead, Red, Pusse, Smog, Tazartès, Akabondage, Boris Vian, Gainsbourg…

q)Do you collect anything?If so what?

a)I collect many many things : stuffed animals, insects, plastic monsters from Japan. Plastic pistols,pietisms of all kinds, robots, mustard glasses (Goldorak, Candy, Astro) glace belles, etc. I go to many brokings and in fact I just have many types of objects and many books as well.

q)What do you do for fun?

a)I see my friends and I play fool with my children.

q)Any advice you can pass onto aspiring artists/designers?

a)To trust oneself and to doubt.

q)Your contacts…

a)Véro Pilté
19 rue Max Ernst
75020 Paris
France
pilsss@free.fr
http://julieetauguste.free.fr/index.html