Absolument ! Biographies, life criteria, and photography as my rooted art form.
In every language that I am even a tad bit aware of, I confidently know the word for “yes.” It is probably my most utilized word in English, and definitely my go-to while I’m speaking French. When je suis fatiguée, it’s so much easier to say either “yes” or “no” than to explain the nuances of my thoughts and feelings. In the moments when I feel another layer of enthusiasm (think: an equivalent to “oh-my-goodness, yes!!!”), I reach for “absolutely!” You’ll hear me say this word with a huge smile attached to my face.
I wanted to create a space for the varied ideas that make me internally and/or externally say “ABSOLUTELY.” And since I’m living in France now—let’s sport ABSOLUMENT instead.
Some of these writings may have a theme, but for the most part, they’ll be a hodgepodge of what’s happening during my frequent daydreaming. I’m a visual thinker, excitable, and a huge information dork, so buckle up!
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Along with sunshine, summer brought me an obsession with TOAST, a brand of clothing and housewares from Wales. I couldn’t resist buying a fan to wave at myself in my AC-less home and car, and striped pillowcases to pretend that I was getting a night of rest after sailing across the Mediterranean. I think TOAST’s value to me exists beyond their products; I latched onto how they storytell through photography. TOAST’s vignettes place you in the life of a Helen-Frankenthaler-meets-Greek-donkey-riding-grandmother-meets-cozy-sweater-gal. Utility, knits, and color palettes out of your dreams. There’s no better way for me to describe it, fortunately and unfortunately.
After some digging, I found that the goodness behind TOAST’s photography is Jo Metson Scott (website/Instagram). Her tones are rich and the perspective she takes on her subjects is so unique to my eyes. Instead of photographing a silk scarf in a *product photography* way, she draped it over a face in the wind. Something flat is instantly sculptural.
Stalking Jo’s work pushed me into something I’ve been wanting to do for about a year and a half: find a DSLR camera. My Fuji had been cut off of my body while I was distracted at La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and I took it as a sign that I needed to rejoin team Canon. After lots of research—and my partner scouring the French equivalent to Craigslist, Leboncoin—I found my new picture teammate.
I’m deeply affected by the sense of sight. What a gift to be able to engulf this world through my eyes! A camera is the perfect tool for seeing in an obvious way, but for me, the zoom of a lens also allows me to touch parts of the world beyond my normal reach. I see a tall chapel and want to absorb the texture of its topmost tiles. I can do that by capturing it in a photograph. Photography has been a rooted art form in my life—different cameras, film, color schemes, and editing preferences—all winding through my years. I miss my high school Polaroid phase the most. Today, I work full-time as an Archivist, organizing and caring for a legacy design collection containing hundreds of thousands of historic photographs and objects. (The Eames approach to photography is something I could talk about for hours/days/years.)
Another woman I admire for her pure burst of creativity is Ioana Petresco. I was introduced to Ioana’s videography work through some American YouTubers who document their lives abroad in France (specifically Damon Dominique, who is so outrageously FUNNY and thoughtful and an enormous cultural observer). Ioana’s Youtube channel is about to premiere its 10th episode, each of which ranges from 20-50 minutes. I always finish watching them with a feeling of momentarily seeing the world perfectly through Ioana’s vibrant vision. She films most of her footage out in the world through a fisheye lens. She supplements charming social interactions with solitary, diary-like scenes. It sounds like a simple formula, but sometimes she is in a bathtub with a ton of baby ducklings rummaging around her, she has costume-like jewelry fashioned to her, or her head is floating on an upright trumpet. It’s so Surrealist! The monologue parts feel like it’s just her, me, and the deep thoughts nobody wants to confront publicly. I love every minute and always feel boosted by her confidence. I recommend watching her “Misbehaving in a Monastery in Transylvania” episode first.
Ioana also has two online courses—one about productivity and one about NOT Productivity. I watched Ioana’s non-productivity course recently and she talks about pursuing your life’s CRITERIA as a way to “enjoy what we have while striving for more.” A simple and personal criteria list for happiness. Hers reads as: LEARN, CREATE, ADVENTURE, NATURE, CONNECT, MOVE, SELF EXPRESS, BEAUTY. The list doesn’t have to be complicated, but solidifying its place in your life can alter everything. Going on a little expedition with a camera in tow and recording the visual ephemera of my environments has 10000% absolutely been on my life criteria list. I had written down my own sloppy version of this list years ago, but I didn’t have a proper name for it until I was met with Ioana’s words. What’s on your list?
Leading back to the topic of artists who I wish I could re-alive and be in the orbit of: do you know about Lee Miller? In the spring, I visited a photography museum in Paris, La Maison Européenne de la Photographie. While doing my all-time favorite activity (browsing the museum bookstore with hungry eyes and fingers), I spotted a biography about her: The Lives of Lee Miller. I was immediately enamored by her portrait on the cover and even more obsessed by the fact that she had been a character in the lives of other artists I knew about.
The book was written by her son, Antony Penrose. While his relationship with his mother was complicated, he wrote without bias and with such clarity and ease in vocabulary that you could convince yourself that she was your dear friend. He wrote about her early years as a model for Vogue, her expanding work in the medium of photography, and detailed her unexpected transition into a war correspondent. Lee found herself in Nazi-occupied Western Europe, often deep in the trenches, and disguised as a man in a soldier’s uniform. A harrowing (and very famous) photo in the book showed a serenely-posed Lee bathing in Hitler’s bathtub just as his death was announced.
I mourned the loss of Lee after I finished the book, swearing I’d bring parts of her with me into my future days. (I felt this way about Ninth Street Women, too, which I recommend to anyone who loves painting and/or stories about women rightfully carving their place into history.) Photography was so clearly in Lee’s wheelhouse of life criteria. So was bravery—something I’m trying to channel intensely as I navigate life in a foreign country. More on that subject soon.
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À tout a l’heure !
Kelsey
PS - I’ve been hesitantly playing with the idea of starting my own Substack after being constantly inspired by the writings of others on this platform. I eat the words of columns from
, , , and like they are dripping in butter. As someone who despises copying, I let the idea fester for too long. A really kind stranger told me I should start one and I’m running with her encouragement (thank you, Muriel!). I have too many thoughts swirling around in my mind all of the time, and it’s a shame to keep them hidden. I love sharing and I love enthusiastic discussions with others, so—here’s my dose of sharing! I hope you enjoy it.
Kelsey! I’m obsessed with the way you write…I truly feel like I’m sitting at a cafe with you and I’m listening to you talk over coffee! Thank for sharing such fun artful tidbits 🫶🏻
V late to this party (blame it on the slow internet taxi cab) but v happy to be here! Félicitations & excited to follow along!