Take Care of Yourself! -- LiveWire Teen Forums

This is about my day. It's part of my blog, but given the nature of what I have written [read it and you will understand] i thought I would share it. Hope you understand.
I was in Montreal today; this is about an exhibition piece I saw at the contemporary art centre called 'Prenez soin de vous'. Upon entering the unassuming building *cough* Tate, I was confronted with a letter, and a reason. The letter was in French, in the form of an email, explaining why a man is breaking up with a woman. The woman and man fell in love; he had a history of affairs so he promised, given that he understood at the start of their relationship that if he was to ever have an affair, then the woman would not be able to stay with him. That would be it. The letter depicts a confession, a submission of eternal love and an apology. The woman was in fact Parisian artist, Sophie Calle, and the author was her anonymous lover. The letter ends with 'Take care of yourself' ...so Sophie explains, she did. She chose 107 women to show the letter to, and make their responses in whatever form, art. Initially I felt quite disgusted at this... as much as when a men shredded all his possessions and called that art... here was an 'artist' making public her personal, in sort of a voyeuristic and rather perverse way - asking people to experience something that was quite passionate, a reason - a personal reason - a private personal reason. Something that should be for her to decipher - something that only she can truly understand. As I walked around the gallery, to an extent bewildered given that everything was in French, I discovered that what Sophie had done was picked 107 women [including a parrot] for their profession - authors, judges, musicians, mathematicians, historians, philosophers, architects etc. Each seemed to have a 'purpose' for being chosen, and each through either textual, graphical, musical, conceptual, visual and often confusing response bought complementary perspective to what is, a very personal letter. Although I won't deny that I was still disturbed, the more I 'experienced', the greater appreciation I had for what Sophie had done. Here was an entire 6 floor gallery dedicated to this exhibition with absolute focus on the analysis of this one letter.

I considered what the letter meant for me, given the reflective nature of the gallery, I felt compelled to reflect. The paradigm of the letter could broadly be understood to be an event, or an important experience - something inherently personal. In life we seldom get the benefit of artistic reflection, often even personal understanding so this really hit home. It helped me imagine a situation, something/someone I feel so passionately about, and understand my inherent attachment. What drew me in. I then reflected the unimaginable - if my situation was to be observed, if everything about it was to be examined by authors, judges, musicians, mathematicians, historians, philosophers, architects - if each were to give an interpretation, advise, what it would mean for me to have that. For I was only allowing my feelings to guide me, yet to an extent aren't we all authors, judges, musicians, mathematicians, historians, philosophers, architects? Immediately, through definitive transgression of self enforced deception I understood what Sophie had done, and why she had done it. Although it has not completely changed my feelings on the situation - being able to understand it with another context means that I no longer feel trapped, or like the sky is falling. I can try to be happy, try to move on.

For Sophie, I imagine this piece allowed her to conceptualise and contextualise a horrible betrayal of her lover; through overtly presenting her letter to the world she is able to take strength from others and allow them to take strength from her. It demonstrates courage and through sharing promotes, in so far as I understand it, an expression of female solidarity. This could easily be to take revenge on the author, but I don't think it is.

The piece was called 'Prenez soin de vous' - or 'Take care of yourself' - this is how Sophie's lover ended the letter; whilst this could be seen as quite dismissive, quite cold given what they shared together; it for me had another duel meaning - an instruction, and an affirmation. I get the impression that the author knew Sophie very well and that through writing his letter Sophie would be inspired to respond, and through that she would 'take care' of herself. I guess if my interpretation is right, that's why Sophie named it as she did...

Following my return home I did some research on Sophie Calle; she is now in her 50's, and in a vodcast interview with Tate, discussed how she finds inspiration whenever something dramatic happens to her - and as such one of her pieces is a video of the last few moments of her mothers life - allowing you to see the moments prior to her death, her last smile, and the momentary response. Voyeuristic - definitely, but whats wrong with that?

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