The Art Of the Personal Project: Coco Amardeil

The Art of the Personal Project is a crucial element to let potential buyers see how you think creatively on your own.  I am drawn to personal projects that have an interesting vision or that show something I have never seen before.  In this new revised thread, I’ll include a link to each personal project with the artist statement so you can see more of the project. Please note: This thread is not affiliated with any company; I’m just featuring projects that I find.  Please DO NOT send me your work.  I do not take submissions.

Today’s featured artist: Coco Amardeil

Crazy Mummy is a creative, photographic project, initiated in August 2014 with my 11 yeas old daughter. The concept was to realize a series of photos of Zhan in quirky, joyful situations, much like my work as a professional photographer. I proposed ideas of situations to Zhan; she then gave her point of view.. she for example refused to have an octopus on her head. I can say that we have done this project as collaboration. I wanted to share creative moments with my daughter whilst having fun. It is different view on mother-daughter complicity, on love and maternal love. Images full of humor and spontaneity.  After our first session in Greece, we continued the story during our various trips.  The  “snapshot” effect is voluntary..A Mom’s vision, simple and pure emphasized with the usage of grain and vignetting.

– How did you (or your daughter) come up with the idea? I wanted to do my first movie, and as i filmed i posted images on Instagram ..we got amazing feedback which motivated Zhan to keep going

– Who has the ideas for the photos?/How do you get the ideas? I prepared the ideas before our trip and took a suitcase full of styling accessories..we also improvised as we went along

– How do you work together? it is mostly fun but sometimes it is tough for Zhan…being buried in the sand, getting pricked by a cactus, kilos of bread wrapped around the waist ;

– How is the situation, when you take the photos? It looks so funny :-) Are you alone with your daughter? We are always alone…except the Kappla photo where her babysitter helped us. Where do you take the photos? In which situations? In Greece, on trips, at home

– How would you describe your daughter? How old is she? She is you adoptive daughter? She is joyful, positive, courageous and loves to laugh..she is 11 and adopted from Kazakhstan

– Has the project changed your relationship? Yes, even more complicity..and she gets my job as a photographer more.

– Do you still go on with the project?…we took a break but are planning on some new ones…I didn’t want to force her…but now she is asking for more..

To see more of this project, click here.

https://www.instagram.com/cocoamardeil/

APE contributor Suzanne Sease currently works as a consultant for photographers and illustrators around the world. She has been involved in the photography and illustration industry since the mid 80s. After establishing the art buying department at The Martin Agency, then working for Kaplan-Thaler, Capital One, Best Buy and numerous smaller agencies and companies, she decided to be a consultant in 1999. She has a new Twitter feed with helpful marketing information because she believes that marketing should be driven by brand and not by specialty.  Follow her at @SuzanneSease.