The weird wonderful Sophie Calle

I had the honour of doing an essay for my degree on Sophie Calle. At first I literally knew nothing about her and the more I researched her life and works the more I feel in love with her.

She's a French conceptual artist who combines photography, film and text and uses her life experiences to create some brilliant pieces of art.

There are so many works that I love of hers but the ones that really grabbed my attention were Suite Venitienne, 1980, where Calle follows this man who she met at a party around Venice and basically stalks him, every photo - she documents the time, and what her subject is doing. Her posts are so funny and she draws you into her world of suspense and sometimes panic.

Another piece that I found brilliant was L'Hotel, 1981, Calle managed to get a job as a chambermaid in a hotel, (once again in Venice) and starts to take pictures of people's rooms and their possessions, she reads through their diaries and letters, rummages through the their bins and even eats some leftovers. The photos are intrusive and she makes you feel uncomfortable but they are nicely shot, they draw you in. Some of these shots hold a sense of sadness, especially one of an old nightgown which lays on one side of the bed of an only male occupier, maybe widower.

Take Care of Yourself, 2007 is another inventive piece from Calle, which was created from a last line of a break up letter from an ex lover. Instead of replying herself, she decides to handover her response to 107 women including 2 hand puppets and a parrot and askes them to respond. The replies come from teachers, dancers, lawyers and even her mother and arrive from drawings, to crosswords, songs and poems and even an origami handiwork. I think Calle's taking the mick of her ex's annoying reply and wearing it thin with all the different female responses. A touch of genius - if you ask me.

Yeah Sophie Calle is pretty unique, she inspiring and her slight madness and weird and wonderful views on life and people keeps you on your toes. She still exhibits, so check her peeps. I love her.