Cécile currently lives in Paris, but would like to return to Switzerland after completing her German language assistantship at high school. Authenticity and the freedom to make something and then see what it does to her and others is her procedure as an artist. She didn’t do a formal art degree, but studied art history and German philology at the University of Basel. We asked her 10 questions about being an artist, how she makes her money, and of course, what tips she has for aspiring (and already established) artists.

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Out & About: Do you call yourself an artist?

Cécile Haesler: This question is actually somewhat uncomfortable for me. I feel that especially because I didn’t study at an art school, I can’t speak of myself as an artist. But I have also met people or heard about artists who have not studied art. This raises the question of when one can call oneself an “artist”. However, I have the perhaps somewhat romanticized view that one is born an artist and does not become one at a certain point, that is, that art is not something primarily learnable. For me, this understanding of art also includes people whom I would call “artists” even though they may not make any material art at all. For me, it is also a designation for perhaps something like an attitude that one takes towards life. I probably struggle with the answer because I am very aware that there are many different conceptions of what an artist is. But for myself, I would definitely describe myself as an artist.

“Every new experience usually triggers a development in a certain direction.”

What inspires you?

I am inspired by art exhibitions or the exchange with other people who are active in the arts! Be that in music, literature, film…

Journeys or natural phenomena can also be inspiring. Inspiration is less something you can search for, it finds you and often in unexpected moments. That’s why I always try to walk through the world with open eyes. Suddenly you see something unexpected amidst the mundane. That’s why you often find inspiration in foreign countries, because everything is new and you can discover so much. But inspiration can also arise in conversations or in collaborations. For example, a few years ago a friend of mine from my German philology studies and I had the idea that I illustrate her poems from her book that she wants to publish. Such collaborations are incredibly inspiring and motivating!

How did you start?

Art has been with me all my life. I used to draw a lot, like most children. I loved diving into fantasy worlds, making up stories and engaging with the figures in them. I loved reading and found a lot of inspiration in animal stories (Wind in the Willows, Beatrix Potter…). Drawing and, more specifically, the urge to create have remained with me. Today, however, I would like to find new ways, that is, not remain exclusively rooted in the drawing.

If you had the chance to study fine art, would you do it?

I have often thought about studying art and I also started the preliminary course. But there I realized that the format of creating art in an institution somewhat constricted me. I had the feeling that the desire to draw etc. no longer came from within but was put on me from the outside. Another counter-argument against studying art is the focus in the contemporary art world on conceptual art and thus the secondary role of craft. However, these are the only counter-arguments. If I had the opportunity, I would still very much like to study art, because firstly you certainly get a lot of stimulus and inspiration in exchange with fellow students. Secondly, you are in an environment that makes it easier to create art (at home I sometimes don’t have enough space or I have to take care of acquiring materials on my own) and thirdly the connection to opportunities for collaborations or exhibitions can be arranged through an art school (of course you can also create a network yourself but that is much more difficult). These three arguments were given to me by the director of the art school in Bern and I found them very convincing.

Do you think a professional training or education would have led you faster to the current state?

Probably – because every new experience usually triggers a development in a certain direction.

Do you have a underlying message in your work?

I think inspiration, authenticity and freedom are at the heart of my art making. In any case, these are the things that drive me or that I want to move towards. It’s important to me that the artwork comes from within and feels real. A statement to a work of art must arise through the process, it would be strange for me to have a statement in advance and then visualizing it (but it would also be interesting once as a new method of creation). I also think it is important that there is always enough space for the viewer to draw his own insights, statements, conclusions, etc. from a work of art. Quite independently of this, however, I think that a viewer will always have his/her own thoughts about a work of art (if he/she deals with it). You really don’t have that much control over it… When I think about my art, which I didn’t do so much in the beginning, I retrospectively notice that I’m interested in the abysmal behind a cute facade. I discovered an artwork by Nathalie Djurberg in 2017 during Art Basel, where I was working as a guard, which inspired me tremendously and then led to my sculptures. In my opinion, a strong dissonance exists in this artwork (Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg: “Who am I to judge, or, it must be something delicious”, 2017) between the colorful, the saccharine visual and the content. I am attracted to art that is not direct but symbolic, metaphorical, hidden… and this personal taste probably comes out in my work, at least that is something that strikes me in retrospect.

“I think the most important thing is to always stay true to yourself.”

Do you make money from your art?

I sometimes earn some money through small exhibitions or cultural events but never to the extent that I could make a living from it.

Do you have any additional sources of income?

Yes, I am currently doing a German language assistantship at a high school in Paris.

Have you ever exhibited your work?

During the preliminary course there was the opportunity to exhibit his works in the Salzhaus Brugg. I applied and, together with a few others from the preliminary course, exhibited some of my drawings in the MehrSalz exhibition. ADuring the preliminary course there was the opportunity to exhibit one`s works in the Salzhaus Brugg. I applied and, together with a few others from the preliminary course, exhibited some of my drawings in the MehrSalz exhibition. At that time it was still black and white drawings and at that time I experimented a lot with printing materials. I had printed the drawings on paper stained with black tea. This was my first exhibition and I had a lot of fun!

Do you have any advice for aspiring young artists?

I think it’s very important, first of all, to be clear about what it means to live as an artist, to make life dependent on your art. I also believe that it is very important to create a good network. Sometimes it seems to me that the personality traits that artists have are very at odds with the personality traits that are needed to make a living from art. By that I mean marketing your own art or drawing attention to yourself, etc. If you’re not very good at it, you probably should hire a manager.

However, I think the most important thing is to always stay true to yourself. If you try to “meet the spirit of the times” or make things that others might like – because you want to make a living from it – it’s a shame about art, which nowadays, like maybe never before, is so much just for itself on duty.

Dear Cécile, thank you very much for your inspiring answers! We wish you all the best on your diverse road as an artist.

Interview by Ina Bandixen

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In the interview series “Artists without a degree in art” we have conducted interviews with artists who have no formal training in the liberal arts and who combine different backgrounds. It is important to us to show that the often still elitist thinking in conservative art institutions represents a barricade for many people, for example when discriminatory structures, racist and sexist attitudes, or even financial barriers make it difficult for them to enter art studies. On the other hand, it is also about understanding that life courses do not always follow a linear and clear line, and that detours and backgrounds outside the field can represent great added value. In the series, seven artists answer the same ten questions about their own CVs and how they ended up where they are now. They tell of very individual and stubborn paths to art, which show how diverse the path to professional creation can be.