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When two artists meet, life becomes complicated. When two artists meet and fall in love, life can become unbearable. Books have been written on this subject. Anabelle Hulaut and David Michael Clarke vivent live together. As artists, each has his/her own individual practice, but as critics, friends, or lovers, the implication that each one has in the work of the other is as complicated as it is diverse.
As young artists (like many young artists), Anabelle Hulaut and David Michael Clarke often suffered from "financial irregularities". As a result, in their artistic practices, in their daily lives, and on holiday, they would share one camera and one video-camera, (and films, cassettes, memory sticks et minidiscs). Sometimes exposed films would stay for months in the fridge waiting for "development funding". In the summer of 2002, there came a point where there were 8 films awaiting development, a little money came in, and the photos went off to the lab. In looking, and rediscovering the photos (which were a mix of Anabelle's work, David's work, and holiday snaps), their respective gazes were both stopped by the same image.
David thought that it was one of his works, in which he asked Anabelle to pose next to the entry sign of a little french village. Anabelle thought that it was a work by her, in which she (as an artist) positioned herself next to the afore-mentioned sign, and asked David to document the action.
Doubt was everywhere, but each one was certain. And both artists could see how the image fitted into their own practice, and that of the other. Finally, they decided to print up two identical copies of the image. One of the prints would become a unique piece signed by Anabelle, to which she would give a title and which would be 'framed' by the rest of her work. The other would become a unique piece by David, to which he would give a title, and which would be 'framed' by the rest of his work.
Hulaut and Clarke were married in 2003. For their honeymmon, the two artists were invited to participate in the same exhibition (Entre / Arada , curator : Ali Akay, Proje4L, Museum of Contemporary Art, Istanbul) thus the two works could be seen hanging next to each other. In 2004, both works were purchased by "Le Ring" (the 'arthotèque' collection of the city of Nantes).
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