REBEL WITH A CAUSE : Marguerite Gisele
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–photo by MARGUERITE GISELE
–I wish I remembered exactly how I discovered the work of the fabulous Marguerite Gisele. (Just saying her name–Mar-guer-ite Gi-sele–is soothing to the lips and takes you to another place) I was lost in a seemingly endless night on the internet, inspiration searching (as always) for CIRCUS when I stumbled upon her Flickr account and I instantly fell in love with the magic, mystique and unavoidable artistic seduction of her photography. I was beyond thrilled when she agreed to a feature on CIRCUS (our first international interview!) and I'm positive all of our readers will become a brand new set of fans for Miss Marguerite.
Introduce yourself.
I'm a 5'4 redhead with one crooked teeth and since I passed the age of 21, I have a very silly problem with getting older. I have a lot of fears, but would still recall myself being rather brave because I decide to more or less successfully fight against them every single day. I love to travel and to learn new things.
Where are you from/currently reside?
I recently returned to Munich, which is the place I grew up in, but have been living in Berlin for the past 10 years.
How did you discover photography?
About three years ago I got very interested into film making. I had done a few crappy short films with an even more crappy camcorder and started a blog to post them on there. Shortly afterwards that camcorder died and all I was left with an empty blog and an old camera I once bought on eBay. I started playing around with it, posted the pictures on that blog and soon fell in love with it.
So you dabbled a bit in film making as well (per your Vimeo account). What sparked that creative endeavor? Would you want to dive more into it?
Film making still has a big place in my heart. It is a secret dream of mine to dive more into it in the future. I’m especially interested in documentary film, but I always felt very insecure about my film projects. At the moment I’m playing around with an old 8mm camera, raw little shots without much editing. I hope to get them developed soon.
Why photography as your artistic medium of choice?
I don’t know if there was ever a day where I chose photography, it just happened, felt natural and made me happy so I continued with it.
Some of your other hobbies and favorite pastimes?
To be honest, I never liked the word “hobby”. There are many things that I feel passionate about, but they more go hand in hand with my creative work...maybe I just don’t have enough time for pastimes.
Off topic but super necessary—how do you get your hair like THIS?
It is very simple actually! They are pretty average pin curls with the only difference that I do them in larger sections as classic pin curls, because I’m lazy with hair and have quite a lot of it on my head.
Your photographs seem to have an aura of mystery behind them. Every one seems to tell a story as well. Do you have a “story” you want to get across with each and every photograph?
It has always been a passion of mine to tell stories. As a child I wanted to become a writer, and I still admire those who have the talent to write the most. Now I tell my stories through my pictures I guess, yes...all sorts of stories.
How would you describe your photography style?
I use very old film cameras so my photographs have the look of old snapshots you found on someone’s basemant. I think they generally are very simple, warm and intimate pictures.
–photo by MARGUERITE GISELE
Tell us about your adorable dog, Asim!
Asim is a huge, unruly dog with the pure heart of a child. He has no clue about his big and strong appearance and most of the time is very scared of the world around him and the creatures living in it. He’s also always hungry and very lazy...kinda like a real living version of Scooby-Doo.
Your blog states that you work in a tiny bookstore, so we’re assuming you’re a bookworm! What are some of your favorite books? And then, if you could photograph any fictional character, who would they be?
My favorite book must be "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers, and I would love to take pictures of every single one of the characters in that book...come to think of it, those would be some great pictures to take!
Who or what inspires you?
Oh, that is hard to answer! So many things... music, words, light, my surroundings in general, my mood, maybe a face or a voice, everything. Life, as banal and beaten as that feels too right, right now.
Your personal style and look remind us of the fabulous French movie stars of the past. Who do you look to for style and beauty inspiration?
I do love the style of these films. When I was 14 I saw Anna Karina in Une Femme est une Femme and that was the day I bought my first liquid eyeliner haha! But since then I can’t really say that I had or have had any specific style inspirations. These days I am way more inspired by colors, fabrics, art, images, books, history, music... I like to dress after a certain feeling, if that makes sense.
What makes the perfect subject/ what makes you want to pull out your camera and snap away?
It could be anything really. Anything I want to catch before it passes or changes.
Follow Marguerite all over the social media spectrum with her Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr, Instagram and personal blog–plus see some of her favorite photographs specifically selected for CIRCUS in our gallery below.
–interviewed by BIANCA BETANCOURT
