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We were the strange guys of the school, the "arty" ones and also the skateboarders ones. It was a great period because Ii met a lot of very interesting people there who are now my friends and also designers, graphic designers, artists, fashion designers...
NKR. We often see and hear about mamie denise, aka your grandmother, which was turned into stickers and pasted in many different places... from sydney to disneyland, can you tell us a bit more about her and the project itself?
GJ. All comes from a living room i made in my art school in 2003. I was bored of students bad moods. It was an art/communication school. But communication does not mean communion, communication kills communion. This room was a sort of cocoon, like a grand ma's house can be.A place where i wanted people to feel great to work and melt ideas.The sticker idea was to show a grand mother with a smile in streests, not especially mine. Just the stereotype of the grand ma. Once, i was in a tramway, i was sitten, pasting a sticker on the window. Then an old lady came to seat in front of me. During 10 minutes, she has watching the sticker pasted just near my shoulder, smiling with puppy eyes. I took it like a sign (Laughs). I did not want to create an image for museums or for the art scene. I wanted to make people look at it and smile in streets.My grand mother is old and totally alone, i just tried to help her to be less alone by pasting her face everywhere.But the concept is difficult to explain...
NKR. what's the technique you find more confortable to express yourself/your art with, and why?
GJ. In fact, the most important thing is the idea or the "concept", the technique mostly comes after. I have periods. During many many years, i have never drawn, i used to make some videos, animations, post production, sculptures, CD rom, skateboarding... And when i had the Mamie Denise project in my head, i have started to film her, then to draw her, after, i have taken some pictures of her etc... For the Mamie Denise shoes project, i have learnt embroidery by myself, and i only did that during 14 days all day long. It was fun but i dont think i'll do it once again. (haha)Now, i use to draw a lot on photoshop. Maybe soon, i'll spend all my time on the street to paste some posters. Who knows?
NKR. We heard you've just launched a book, "Guillaume Jolly", can you tell us about it, and where can we find it?
GJ. Well, my father is still printer and i had no new projects after my exam. I always wanted to make a Mamie Denise book and my father proposed me to make my book of drawings and illustrations to find a job more easily. So, we made a deal. >>>

 
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Half of the book was the Guillaume Jolly's part, and the other half was the Mamie Denise's part. It is a 96 pages full of colors book which is sold with some stickers, a poster and a postcard in some "arty stores" in Paris and Nantes.
NKR: contemporary living artists. are there any particular ones you appreciate? name a few artists whose work inspired you.
GJ. Marshall McLuhan, Michel Gondry, Mattew Barney, gruppoA12, Le gentil garçon, Rogenes, Manfred Pernice, Sarah Sze, Jimmy Corrigan, Nando Costa, MK12, Aphew Twin, Designers Republic, Rubber Johnny, Pfadfinderei, Jonathan Glazer, the Monthy Pythons, Alan Parker, Mike Patton, Fugazi, Ty Evans, Greg Hunt, Rem Koolhaas... These are the ones i am thinking about right now. Maybe in a week i will make a new list (Laughs).
NKR."Today, being talented is not enough. u got to have the right people around you." in your opinion, what are the chances for a young artist to survive and grow in the art world of today?
GJ. A young artist must know a lot of important people and he needs to put down his pant to be, fast, an artist. Art and museums become a sort of big supermarket where young people want to be fastly sold and famous...


 

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We had a wicked interview the conceptual ''things maker'', as he likes to be called, Guillaume Jolly. His book is just out in the nicest book shops around Paris, together with free Mamie Denise stickers!

NKR. Guillaume Jolly, how would you describe yourself?
GJ. The little bird wants to become an eagle but it is afraid to fly by himself, all alone is the big sky. In fact, i am someone who never stop to produce at home: drawings, videos, shoes, Tshirts, 3D animations, stop motions, paintings, photos, cakes... I use to create all day long. When i woke up, i switch on my computer, the light, and after many hours, i think i should eat something (haha). For now, I make my website and the Mamie Denise one to be able to find a job soon as graphic designer. I am also a skateboarder and a music lover.
NKR. Who or what were the biggest influences on your growth?
GJ. I did not have a lot of influences. I liked to watch TV a lot, i was a cartoon fan, and i liked to play tennis and basketball. A typical young boy. I refused during many many years to learn to draw, I used to draw some japanese mangas at home and no more. One of my biggest influence was one of my sisters who went in art schools when i was 8 years old. She has shown me many artists and made me listen good music when everyboy used to listen to house and dance. I must thank her (Laugh).
NKR. What kind of teenager were you at school?
GJ. I lived in a small city. My father had a print factory called "Jolly Iimprimerie", my mother had a stationery shop called "Jolly papeterie" so I was a little bit known as the drawer but it was not a good thing. I did not like that. I was the kind of boy who look calm but who always laugh. I was not good at school at all...
NKR. when did you realise what you wanted to do is art?
GJ. I draw since i can take a pen in my hands. My parents always pushed me to do what I wanted. I did not like school and Ii was a little bit lost when I was 15 years old. So, I decided to go in a special art section at school where all was about art. We had 6 hours of History of Art per week and some other interesting stuffs to learn (drawing, design, architecture...). >>>
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