Collection
Studio Visit - Fanny Allié
Studio Visit
Fanny Allié
French Artist Fanny Allié's work focuses around figures, often in pieces or partial state, which she places in minimal neutral structures and environments that are created from found fabric and discarded materials. Often commenting on modern culture and the way we relate to one another through her practice, Allie seeks to highlight the spaces we occupy, the objects we leave behind and senses of feeling included and excluded. Read on to learn more about her mixed media practice.
Q.
Tell us about yourself and how you came to be an artist…
A.
When I was 16, I started staging and photographing my two sisters who were 12 and 20 at the time. It was my first creative experience, very free and intuitive
Q.
What draws you to mixed media work?
A.
My mixed media work allows me to layer and connect various materials, fragments and objects in a very organic way. It basically means that I’m not closing any doors and (almost) every material has possibilities.
Q.
What influence does living in New York have on your work?
A.
I collect discarded materials and found objects that I find on the street or that have had a previous owner. It would be less inspiring if I were living in a very clean and orderly city where nothing can be found and collected.
Q.
What questions or concepts are you most interested in?
A.
The question of home, the sense of belonging and exclusion, passage, the ephemeral and the disappearance of the body.
Q.
You’re currently a member artist at the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts. What influence has this opportunity had on you and your work?
A.
It has been a great push in my art career and on a personal level as well, there is a great community of artists that I can connect with. As an artist working alone most of the time in my studio, I like having a professional structure that supports me, it makes me more confident.
Fanny Allié says
“EACH ELEMENT EVENTUALLY FINDS ITS OWN PLACE WITHIN THE WORK. MIXED MEDIA BASICALLY MEANS THAT I’M NOT CLOSING ANY DOORS AND (ALMOST) EVERY MATERIAL HAS POSSIBILITIES.”
Q.
What is your creative process?
A.
My practice is heavily influenced by accidents and the materials I come across; the fragments that are left behind in the routine of each day. I don’t consciously think of the ideas or concepts before creating the work as it’s already in me. I just have to trust myself. I research and explore the questions I am interested in while creating the work. It’s an on-going reflection process.
Q.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
A.
From everything that’s around me: people, streets, daily situations, books I read, conversations...
Q.
Describe your work in three words.
A.
Textile. Sculpture. Structure.
Q.
Who are some contemporaries or figures in art history who have influenced you?
A.
I have been influenced by a lot of artists such as Belkis Ayon, Ghada Amer, Louise Bourgeois, Annette Messager, Carol Rama, Huma Bhabha, Simon Evans, Wangeshi Mutu, Nick Cave, Paul Klee's puppets, Judith Scott...
Q.
When do you make your best work?
A.
In the morning.
Q.
What is your relationship with social media?
A.
Addiction
Q.
What messages or emotions do you hope to convey to your audience?
A.
I hope the audience can actually feel something - any type of emotions or reactions - when looking at my work.
Q.
Are there any quotes or mantras that you particularly connect with?
A.
Yes I have my own personal mantras...
Q.
What do you listen to when creating?
A.
A French radio that I listen to on the internet (France Culture / France Inter)
Q.
What makes you laugh?
A.
I try to laugh at embarrassing situations
Q.
What makes you nervous?
A.
Everything.
Q.
What makes you excited about the future?
A.
My son, and my art.
View new works by Fanny Allié
