Fludd Interviews / 50. Charlotte Peys

A) NAME : Charlotte Peys

B) WHERE ARE YOU FROM? : I work and live in Ghent (Belgium).

C) HOW OLD ARE YOU? : I am 27 years old.

D) YOUR SPHERE OF INTERESTS (DRAWING, PAIN-TING, PHOTOGRAPHY, ANIMATION, ...) : I'm interested in anything that has to do with image-making and storytelling. Drawing, screenprinting and other graphic techniques, painting, but also film and theatre. Other interests that I try to combine with my work as an illustrator are history, folklorism, sociology, documentary, anthropology, journalism and natural sciences.


E) STUDIES : I studied Arts & Science at the University of Maastricht (The Netherlands), Cultural Studies at the University of Leuven (Belgium) and Illustration at the School of Arts in Ghent (Belgium).

F) COULD YOU PLEASE TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT DO YOU DO/HAVE YOU DONE? : I recently graduated as an illustrator from the School of Arts in Ghent. My graduation project researched the possible role of the illustrator as an anthropologist. I made an illustrated anthropological monograph about Zondereigen: a little rural village in Belgium. In 2013 I often stayed a week in the village. The end result is not an historical overview of the village, but a visual journey of my subjective experiences. In the past, I've also illustrated a historic publication about World War I and was a visual journalist for an arts festival. Right now I'm working on the artwork for an album, I'm making an interpretation of a painting by Pieter Bruegel de Oude and you can find some of my drawings in the Mercatormuseum - a museum on cartography - in Sint-Niklaas (Belgium). 
Drawing for me is a way to investigate, to memorize, to collect and to tell stories. I love the idea of drawing as a way to discover. In the evolution of visual representation, drawing and illustration played a fascinating role. They were believed to be able to register physical facts and represent the truth. Drawing was the only way to visually report about the curious creatures that explorers found in foreign lands or more simple: it was the only way to register the way to the foreign lands. Illustrations based on observation were founded in empiricism and were a part of the scientific way of thinking. Drawing visualized certain findings and in that way produced a certain kind of knowledge. 

G) 3 MASTERS : Ron Mueck, Edward Hopper, Edouard Vuillard

H) 1 INSPIRING CITY : Paris

I) A PLACE YOU'D LOVE TO VISIT SOON : Paris

J) 1 SPECIAL MUSEUM : I've never been there, but I'd love to visit The Museum of Innocence in Istanbul. This museum is based on the museum described in the book The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk. It's a fictional collection of objects and memorabilia from a broken relationship of two characters in the book but at the same time it's also a collection that evocates the everyday life and culture of Istanbul during the period in which the novel is set.

K) 1 RECOMMENDED WEB-SITE : The Field Museum was founded in 1893 as the Columbian Museum of Chicago and has spent more than 120 years in the pursuit of scientific knowledge about the world around us. I like looking around on the Flickr page of The Field Museum Library.

L) FAVOURITE ICE CREAM FLAVOUR : Chocolate, no doubt.

M) A SHOP YOU LOVE : Steen & Been in Antwerp (Belgium).

N) 2 OBJECTS YOU LIKE : Although my knowledge of geography is not that good, I really like maps and globes. We use an illuminated globe as a bedside lamp. Every night I can ask: can I turn off the world? Another object I really like is my beautiful Lamy rollerball pen that I got as a present from my boyfriend when I graduated. I use it every day to make lists.

O) YOUR IDEAL BREAKFAST : My ideal breakfast has nothing to do with what's on the table, but with who's at the table. 

P) SOMEWHERE NICE TO GO IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD : I love paper, stationary and books. One of my favourite bookshops is Copyright. It's the perfect place for new discoveries.

Q) LAST BOOKS YOU HAVE READ : Shackleton's Journey by William Grill (Flying Eye Books); Panter by Brecht Evens (Oogachtend); Hubert by Ben Gijsemans (Oogachtend)

R) WHAT ARE A FEW THINGS INSPIRING YOU AT THE MOMENT? : At the moment I am inspired by inventories. I've always been a collector and I love the stories behind collections and collectors. If you look around, everything can be a collection. Historical facts and encyclopedias are also a big source of inspiration right now. I've always been fascinated by the attempt to bring together all the knowledge in the world.

S) WHICH IS THE MAIN DIFFICULTY FOR A YOUNG CREATIVE TODAY? : In our current society, it's hard for young creatives to stay focused and keep working. There is so much to see, so much to read, so much to hear, it's easy to drown in all this information and forget about what you personally want to achieve. I often find myself wandering around the internet reading articles, writing blogposts, looking at portfolios from other illustrators. Sometimes it gives me a heavy feeling that there exists so much and there are so many good illustrators and artists. The trick is to let it be a creative boost instead of a paralyzing feeling. 

T) WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE DIMENSION OF ART AND CREATIVITY? : Collaborations can be very interesting for both the artists involved and the public. It ensures you to explain yourself and bring into words what you want to do. This can be very instructive and encourages you to self-reflect. This self-reflection is something you can apply in your personal work too. Since my boyfriend (Toon Delanote) is also an illustrator and since we share a workplace, we are constantly collaborating just by giving each other feedback. 

U) WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? : I am looking for a way to do what I love to do without having to worry. The perfect balance between all my different interests: anthropology, sociology, history, natural sciences, scientific illustration, drawing, writing and publishing.

V) WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO? : I'm looking forward to draw.

W) PROJECTS FOR THE FUTURE (EXAGGERATE!) : I want to join a scientific Arctic expedition and visually reflect on this journey. I want to accompany an anthropologist on his fieldwork and make drawings about it. I want to start a micro publishing house with my boyfriend and fellow illustrator Toon Delanote and publish beautiful and interesting books by people we admire. I want to have a big workspace and a screenprinting studio where I can work on interesting projects.

V) WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO STUDY WHEN YOU'LL BE OLD? : I would like to study (visual) anthropology and (documentary) film.

Y) A GOOD PURPOSE FOR THE 2015 SEASON : In 2015 I'd like to have a part-time job.

Z) WHAT DOES THE WORD "FLUDD" SUGGEST YOU? : Fludd sounds to me as the opposite of low-tide. It reminds me of a lot of water, a great amount of information, a plurality of things. 

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