Author of the Week: SOPHIE CALLE

Artist Sophie Calle makes intriguing art and beautiful books. I’ve been lucky enough to be a recipient of several Sophie Calle publications and I love them all. This French photographer and writer’s art practice consists of rules-based (Oulipo-style) projects — many controversial, some intimate and quiet — where she follows strangers, stalks ex-lovers, becomes invisible, performs and imposes her camera on abandoned places and unseen people. Sophie Calle investigates identity and intimacy, records the ordinary, and documents public as well as private lives. Her photographs are infused with story, and she disrupts the concepts of autobiography and memories, her own as well as others. If you are keen to start on your Calle journey, the primer, Sophie Calle, is a good place to start. If you are curious, Hotel is wonderful, Blind is deeply moving and stunningly beautiful in text and image, and the True Stories (regularly updated) books captivating. Internationally acclaimed, Sophie Calle has been making work since the 1970s, her most recent show was at the Picasso Museum (walk through in the link below).

The story of a photograph: Stella’s stack of Sophie Calle publications photographed in the late evening in low light with handmade objects. Jug made by Thomas’s grandfather Alexander Bannerman Ingram. Jug is dated November 1961. Runner gifted to us by our friend and excellent weaver Meg Nakagawa.

Find out more >>>

• Becoming an Artist

• A short documentary

• My All

• Hotel Review

• At the Picasso Museum with Calle

• Sophie Calle titles available from VOLUME*

• Stella reviews Hotel.

• Thomas reviews True Stories and My All.

*Unfortunately, we can’t hold all her books in stock. Fortunately, we can order any of these and get them to you within 2-4 weeks.