Michaela Spinks-Sandrine Barrois
Mlle Terite, real name Sandrine Barrois, was once a
little girl who loved stories, however she has now gone on to graduate in
product design and graphic design and has become an established artist. She
still loves stories, however she now creates her own stories by drawing from
literature, films and news images. Her work evokes childhood, innocence,
naivety and cruelty. There is a sense of dialogue between reality and fiction,
which is established, complete with a touch of poetry. Her work comes in various
forms such as photography, drawing, sculpture and illustration.
When asked in an interview as to why there is a
repetitive use of forests throughout her work, she explained that the forest is
a place of tales where a special atmosphere prevails. Although forests can be
mysterious and scary, she feels there is a soothing character and undertone
that some people may forget. To create a setting to anchor a story, she loves
getting lost in the woods to allow her mind to be free and open. When asked
about her bleak use of colour, she explained that the engravings of Gustave
Dore have always interested and intrigued her. She feels the use of black
excludes any emotion and forms great intensity. The artist states she only uses
colour sparingly, allowing only certain elements certain objects to stand out.
When questioned about her technique, she clarifies that she likes to combine
both cutting paper and pencil illustrations. She expands on this by explaining
that sometimes the sketch alone isn’t enough for her, therefore feels like she
has to bring the volume by either paper cutting, paper folding or even working
with fabrics.
The mood within her work feels very isolated through
the use of the negative space she allows her work to have, but also through her
use of simple, delicate illustrations. The feeling of isolation also highlights
an undertone of an intense spirit through the use of her composition. All
objects in her work have their own placements on the page, however the
intensity is built up through the image having a border, which creates leading
lines to the content within that border. The main feeling I get from her work
is this calm, sensitive approach she has to the landscapes she illustrates. Her
delicate use of organic shapes allow me to feel relaxed, which also helps me to
relate to her work. Furthermore, there is a sense of innocence and purity
through the use of her lack of colours that indicates a sense of sadness.
However, the little splash of colour enables a sense of hope and movement to be
brought to her work.
Her artwork is fluent through the use of her organic
shapes that are repetitive throughout all her work. Her focal points are
created through the use of the images that are connected to the cut out pieces
of paper she overlays over the illustrations. Her use of line is shown through
her detail in the tree’s, which help distinguish the shapes of the objects,
which again are organic. The subtlety of the illustrations she uses helps to
represent the forests she wishes to portray. Her sharp use of cutouts contrast
with her fluid flow of organic shapes, however this allows her work to stand
out and create more depth. Some of her cutouts are noticeable because some show
shadows above the illustrations, which highlight a 3D effect. However some of the
cutouts are stuck down and therefore blend in with the illustrations more,
which creates a more harmonious flow, as the images become a part of the
overall image.
