‘Conversations’ on a mystery

Three dimensional artworks by Berengere Brooks sees the mundane in a different perspective

By Ursula Gonsalves

Women are a mystery, in the true sense of the word. Throughout the years poets, dramatists, authors have tried to piece together a magical combination of words that would somehow shed some light to this exquisite being, and so far, none have been victorious.

Berengere Brooks builds her art and creations on this un-chartered territory that is the female mind. Born in Leon, France, Berengere says she had a normal childhood that led to a normal life. “My family was what any other family was from the outside. There was no big drama, just the day-to-day routine that families follow. I guess I’m more drawn to strong personalities in women since I always considered my mum to be a strong character in my life. But apart from that my family was, as I said, normal. Then again,” Berengere poses a question with a twinkle in her eye, “is any family normal at all?”
Having completed her higher education in Theatre Design at the Nottingham University in England, Berengere then went on to work in several theatres in England as well as in France, gaining some much needed exposure to what would later on become a hobby and passion. She then followed her husband to Africa, and after several years found herself in Sri Lanka, where she’s been living for the past three years working as a fashion designer for the Trunk boutique. “Even though I gave theatre and fashion a higher priority, my love for painting always hovered in the background”, she confesses.
‘Conversations’, her debut art exhibition in Sri Lanka, is a collection of her creations that have been influenced by her work in theatre, and an exclusive preview of her work was presented at the KOOii Art Space on Sunday, June 07 2009. The European theatre background paved way for her to use a combination of space, sound, lighting and props that came together and contributed to one creation, known as installation art. This three-dimensional component allows the viewer to become an active part of the artwork, as I myself realized by sitting down in a comfortable arm-chair to listen to one of her audio tapes, a Stereophonic Installation on the topic ‘My Great Love’, where women talk openly about the love of their life, about moments of intimacy, as well as relationships that failed.

Next in store were two videos, the first in which Berengere had posted a quick and spontaneous question on what she calls the most beautiful and disturbing change in a woman’s life – motherhood. The second video depicted motherhood in the form of questions on how it was like to be a daughter, to be a mother, and to be a mother of a daughter. Berengere has created these videos using bits of interviews she held with various women she met over the years, and then assembling them as one would cut pieces of paper to create a collage. She emphasises on the fact that this is done to create a different atmosphere from the original context for the viewer. “I don’t distort the moments and give a new meaning to them. I just rearrange the big picture in a different way so that the viewer can look at the object from a newer and broader angle.”
The room upstairs at the KOOii Art Space also offered an enticing experience. The Photographic Installation, aptly named ‘Six Months in Office’ takes the viewer through sets of photographs on how an office environment changes to accommodate an employee, and how, in the end the employee accommodates to the environment. From the first day at office with a stack of files, to a brief stint of marking your own territory, be it with some flowers or a personal photograph, to the ultimate realization that there is no individuality within those four dreaded walls, the photographs brought to life what many people experience in their professional lives. “No matter how much we try to create individuality, we end up realizing that all of us sit on a blue chair behind a huge desk piled up with files! I used an audio tape of a copier in the background to provide the viewer with some additional elements to create the environment. When they see things from my perspective, maybe they’ll go to work on Monday, and actually hear the copier working… never realizing that it had always been on in the background before. People get so caught up with work that they just don’t take time to see or hear things anymore.” Berengere explains.
A larger photograph downstairs named ‘The Origin of the World’ is a direct reference to the famous Courbet painting of the same name. Many questions arise, from the point of human origin to the transition of a girl to a woman by giving birth.

She follows in the footsteps of contemporary French female artists such as Sophie Calle and Annette Messager, by making herself a character of her own fiction. She uses canvas and in this case, brown paper in her paintings which revolve around the themes of ‘Individuality’ and ‘Inability to Communicate’, bringing out various moods and moments of female characters to life. “I can’t really say that one art form comes above the other, since audios, videos and photography are also part of my creations. But I’ve always found art to be more personal. Videos and audios can be recorded over again, but when painting, I have to find a way to bring out on canvas an idea that’s in my head. I sometimes look at some paintings and realize that I set out to draw one image, and ended up with something totally different. Ideas change. Perceptions change. Art depends on these personal ideas and perceptions. I think that is what attracts me most to painting.”
Agreeing that so far her experience in Sri Lanka has been wonderful, she states that she is not leaving the country any time soon. “This is a lovely place to live in, and I guess I am privileged. I do have plans for an exhibition in Europe this summer in August.
I haven’t quite decided on a place yet since I have worked in many theatres around France and UK, but I’m definitely coming back to Sri Lanka in September! That’s for sure.” Berengere replies.
When questioned on what’s next for her, Berengere states that she will continue with her fashion designing. “Designing brings out my creativity in a different way. Its not only about attire, it’s about people. I like the fact that I can be close to people that way. My creations are all in a way aimed at getting close to people. I want to give them an idea of what the bigger picture in life is, while providing them the opportunity to depict my art in whatever angle they want to. If I wanted them to interpret my art with my own ideas, I would probably be preaching or giving seminars! But that is not the case. I want my art to mean something. I want the viewer to understand each creation and take back part of the experience.”