Sophie Calle

Sophie Calle has produces several projects using the idea on the clandestine camera, in one project named The Shadow (1981) she asked her mother to hire a Private Investigator to follow Sophie around Paris as she went about her normal routines. The result was a collection of photographs taken at a distance with out a clear image of her face as she went about her business unaware of the photographer. The observed becomes the observer. In another project, Address Book, (1983) Calle found an Address book which she photocopied and returned the original back to the owner. She then went about calling all the telephone numbers to find out more about the owner’s life and took pictures of other people engaged in his favorite activities. When the owner of the address book learned of her project he threatened to sue her for invasion of privacy; but he backed down when she had photographs of her self nude published. Another project, The Sleepers, (1979) Calle asked people to sleep in her bed and took photos of them whilst they slept. In another project, Suite Vénitienne (1979) she acted as a stalker following a man whom she met at a party to Venice, unaware of where he was staying she called all the hotels until she found him and the persuaded a women who lived opposite to let her photograph his comings and goings from her window.

From The Shadow (1981) by Sophie Calle.

From The Shadow (1981) by Sophie Calle.

From Suite Vénitienne, (1979) by Sophie Calle.

From Address Book, (1983) by Sophie Calle.

Jean-Yves Le Gavre, twenty-third sleeper, (from The Sleepers) (1979) by Sophie Calle.