MACHAS

Welcome Hélène!

Hélène is a softly spoken young woman, with an broad, contagious smile and a certain je n’è sais quoi that is a trademark of Parisian women.
Hélène is a collage artist and her work is distinctive with a peculiar sense of depth that bridges almost into a metaphysical composition of space.

The viewer is literally projected into her fascinating world, where the reality is frequently questioned through elegantly sleek images and an interesting use of light; boundaries of perception are constantly pushed, achieving a elegant short circuit that alerts but not derails the viewer’s cognitive structure. The result is a mild vertigo, like when standing on the edge of a cliff.

Her commercial work is not that openly challenging but still retain this visual sleekness and edginess but with a more fun, graphic and lighthearted twist. We immediately thought there was something special about this Parisian lady and ask her to be part of the Machas family!

As usual we sat down with Hélène and asked her few questions to get to know her better.

1. would it be very rude to ask how old are you?
36 !

2. home - where is it?
In central Paris, just above the Passage des Panoramas.

3. when did you think “art could be my job”?
I never thought otherwise.

4. why collage?
“Je n’aime rien tant que ce qui va se produire » P. Valery “I like nothing so much as what’s going to happen”

5. most recent art obsession?
Light.

6. any tool / object that you couldn’t live without?
Color and perfume.

7. inspiration?
Life and theater faces.
Rauschenberg, Maurice Denis, John Heartfield, John Stezaker, Louise de Vilmorin, Alfred Jarry, Brian Eno, Philip Glass

8. what do you love about your job?
The science of imaginary solutions.

9. and what do you wish it was not part of your job?
Computer.

10. an advice for someone 10 years younger than you
Financial scarsity is a big input to generate creative ideas.

11. your favourite project ?
Projects which allow me to learn other things beyond my job.

12. your last project?
Les Cahiers de l’imaginaire # 8 - La rue.

13. and, most importantly, do you like cats?
Bison under my hoodie.> (see picture)

See more of Helene’s work here.