1. How would you describe your artistic style in three words?
Playful, Cinematic, Curious.
2. What has been your greatest source of inspiration recently?
Chloé: Old movies from Truffaut.
Nick: Streets of Marseille.
3. What was the defining moment that made you realize you wanted to be a professional artist?
Chloé: When I realized how calm and serene making images made me feel. Also when I ended up as a waitress in the South of France having left school without a diploma I knew there must be another road!
Nick: Having lucked my way onto a film set as a stills photographer in the 90s when I got the photographs back from the lab they were good enough to give me motivation to keep going.
4. If you could collaborate with any artist, living or dead, who would you choose and why?
Chloé: Catherine Deneuve, French Actress.
Nick: Pat Mc Cabe, Irish writer.
5. Is there a specific message or emotion you hope to convey through your works?
See the world as your childhood memory!
6. What is the artistic project you are most proud of so far?
Slowset, because of it’s simplicity and mix of emotional expression and social investigation.
7. How do you keep your creativity fresh and innovative?
Sometimes it’s difficult to do so to be honest. But travelling, moving, not staying still usually works to unlock ideas.
8. What are the main obstacles you’ve had to overcome in your artistic journey?
Chloé: I’m my own enemy creating my own obstacles usually. It’s all to do with the imposter syndrome, etc… On an other level; the industry is changing very fast, every 6 months. You need to remain optimistic and keep an open mind.
Nick: Not always being able to focus on the task in hand. The madness of multitasking!
9. What advice would you give to someone trying to break into the art world?
Follow your guts!
10. Is there a technique or medium you’d like to explore more in the future?
We’d love to work on the form of theatre to mix it with photography.
11. Where do you draw inspiration for your creative projects? Are there personal passions or do you believe your background influences your work in some way?
It comes from our experiences, what we’ve seen, what we’ve heard and read. Sometimes from what comes to us in our dreams.
12. What passions do you have outside of art, and how do these passions reflect in your creations?
Chloé: Cooking and walking around Andros in Greece, where I have a small cottage. Andros has featured in my work and will is the setting of my future film project.
Nick: I follow my countries rugby team (Ireland) they always remind me to fight till the end no matter how far behind you are. Music – which is the most powerful form of storytelling.
13. What is the place, real or imagined, that inspires you the most?
Chloé: Cities.
Nick: Cities and train stations.
14. Is there a cultural, historical, or contemporary icon who has had a significant impact on your artistic journey?
Chloé: Simone Veil for her resilience and fight for women’s rights.
Nick: Anton Chekhov for Uncle Vanya and the photography of Jeff Wall.
15. Can you tell us about a recent experience that gave a new spark to your creativity?
Chloé: Testing A.I. in our work.
Nick: Returning to Street Photography.
16. What books, films, or music are a constant source of inspiration for you?
Chloé: Mr Vertigo Paul Auster, Nina Simone, Jules et Jim François Truffaut.
Nick: The Conversation Francis Ford Copolla, Five Easy Pieces Bob Rafelson. The Smiths, My Bloody Valentine.
17. When you feel creatively blocked, what do you do to regain inspiration?
Chloé: Have a drink with fiends and go to an art exhibition.
Nick: A very long walk.
18. Is there a project or collaboration that has truly reflected your personal passions?
Chloé: Slowset.
Nick: A project for the Festspeilhaus in Austria where we cast the townspeople to re- create a Brueghal picture.
19. How do you translate your emotions and passions into a visual language that can also resonate with brands?
By really listening to the brief and not being afraid to ask the difficult questions.
20. What meaning do you attribute to the creative process compared to the final result?
Chloé: The creative process is the most difficult, frustrating and fun part of the job. The result sometimes doesn’t even matter to me. Once it’s finished, I’m ready to move to the next project.
21. What role does failure or mistakes play in your creative process?
Chloé: Lessons, learning and necessary.
Nick: Make your mistakes early and learn fast!
22. What drives you to explore new mediums, and how have new technologies transformed your creative process?
Chloé: I always think of this expression: Don’t miss the bus!
23. Where does your passion for art come from?
Chloé: That’s a good question! Not sure.
Nick: Probably from my parents dragging me as a reluctant kid to art and theatre.
24. Is there a recurring theme that runs through all of your work?
I suppose we could say that all of our images are seen through the filter of our childhood memory.
25. Is there a work you’d like to create but haven’t found the way to yet?
We have both film projects awaiting cultural funding.
26. How do you decide when a piece is truly finished?
I think the piece decides, not us.
27. What role do you think art plays in today’s society?
Chloé: Hopefully, it can be a bit of oxygen for some but also a call to action for others, depending of what Art you’re talking about.
Nick: Necessary to push away the madness of a banal life!
