LIDOprofile - Aliénor Meyer
We had the pleasure of sitting down with artist Aliénor Meyer to find out more about her work and inspirations.
You can follow her Instagram by clicking here.
How did you come to do what you do?
I studied Visual Arts and then Journalism and even if at the time it didn't make a lot of sense, from today's perspective it is ironically meaningful.
More precisely, I developed my series of Poetic News (L'Actualité Poétique in French) when I became a mom because its was easy and convenient for me to take a piece of paper and some ink from my nightstand after a long day. At first I began to draw my daily life with my sons, mocking myself and the life I was leading. But then Covid showed up and the dystopian news stream became my main source of inspiration.
I love giving the news a funny angle, using fairy tale imagery. I like to think that my points of reference (the french press drawing and anglo-saxon cartoons) are reflected in my work.
What's the most exciting part of your job?
First and foremost I would say creative freedom. When you work as a creative for a company you are kind of asked to fit your ideas to what the client or your boss want. I've never been as creative as I am since I've been able to set my own goals.
The other part of my job that I love is the people I come into contact with. Receiving encouragement and support gives so much meaning to what I do.
What challenges do you usually encounter?
Time. News can quickly become outdated, which is the reason why I have so many unfinished works. Usually when I get an idea, I have to put pen to paper straight away.
Another big challenge I face is balancing my life as a mom with my work. It takes a lot of organization to reach the end of each day.
What's your typical day like?
My typical day looks pretty much like a traditional housewife day. But when the night comes I morph into a focused artist and I gladly trade hours of sleep for quality peaceful work time. Sometimes I go to bed at 3am to give me the time I need to bring an idea to life.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
I stargaze and I listen to science podcasts. Everything that touches on astrophysics and paleo-anthropology is my thing !
