The french writer, photographer, installation and conceptual artist, Sophie Calle explores how individuals see themselves, their feelings and intimacy with others.

 I am looking at her ‘Take Care of Yourself’ series (made in 2009) which  is named after the last line of an email her ex boyfriend sent her. This s a projection piece where she projected the break up email onto herself and when recreating Calle’s work I found the original email which I then projected onto my subject and took photos before editing them to be black and white. Furthermore the use of the French language adds to the exploration of her identity which she purposefully does as this project has a confessional and reflective quality to it.

I think that in this piece she expresses the vulnerability people, especially women, feel after a break up. She later on asked 107 different women to read the email and paid attention to the difference in their reactions as in her time of vulnerability she wanted to be able to understand her emotions so she did this through looking at other peoples. The women all interpreted the email in various ways which I think emphasises that one notion can cause a range of emotions which can be expressed in a variety of ways.

I would like to focus on this idea of expressing emotions in different ways and highlighting the idea that there isn’t a correct way to express emotions but rather that any expression is okay and correct. In my own work I would like to use this element of projection to perhaps portray how expression may be difficult if the intensity of emotions is high or confusing. I would also like to project words onto my work to highlight the idea that expression through words is also key to help you and others understand your true emotions.