365 Days By Julie Doucet
52 Books In 52 Weeks: #18 of 52
So having books published and selling artwork makes you an unfliching success, right? Easy street opens itself up, right? No more worries, no more concerns, just you taking it easy, having a cocktail, watching the royalty checks roll in, waiting to get inspired… just you and your art, right? If anything, Julie Doucet’s autobiographical 365 Days gives us the time on what it means to be a visual artist today. The reality of it has more to do with scrambling for grants, toiling in un-air conditioned studios, and living with the anxiety of whether there will be work to do at all.
Doucet offers a glimpse into her daily life, spanning from November 2002 to November 2003, through the guise of a personal journal, with her art and collages complimenting her daily thoughts. She reveals the events in rather concise form without giving away too much, knowing that this project was ultimately destined for the public eye (most of her friends and acquaintances are referred to anonymously, for instance).
In that light, it isn’t as intimate or private an exploration as one might expect from a personal journal, but it offers a fun insight into Doucet’s daily routine (or lack thereof) and of events going on around her (like the near-bankruptcy of Drawn & Quarterly or the invasion of Iraq). Mostly, however, the book allows us the chance to marvel at her stylistic, distorted art, which takes full advantage of the real estate offered by each page. It’s a fascinating account and an artistically sound composition from one of Canada’s most original and astonishing (yet sadly under-appreciated) artists.
Book: 365 Days
Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly
Next: Shortcomings
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