© 2023, Matthieu Bourel
All rights reserved.



What inspires your artistic creations?
Everything, every day. Whether it's a stroll, a book, a song, a lecture, a poem, or a conversation with a friend—anything can spark inspiration.

Do you convey a hidden message to your audience?
I aim to reflect my personal reactions and connections to the world and daily events. It's about expressing what shocks, moves, or pleases me, regardless of whether it's political, artistic, or poetic. Sometimes, my intent is specific; other times, it's more spontaneous. It's a way to share my discoveries, reveal myself through combinations, and elicit diverse reactions, each influenced by individual backgrounds. The messages in my work may not always be obvious; I enjoy adding an element of mystery through my titles.

Why do you choose to use collages?
It's more than an artistic choice; it's a way of life for me. Analog collage, involving choices and decisions akin to real-life situations, is like a spontaneous puzzle. You must decide where to cut, adjust, balance, and glue, creating something unforeseen with no possibility of turning back. Even in the digital realm with limitless options, I stick to the same method—scissors and glue. As a Video Editor, I applied a similar mindset, always opting for straight cuts without fades, finding the exact point to join sequences. This approach extends to my painting as well—an unconscious involvement of the cut-and-paste process. Inputs/Output.

How do you feel while working on these pieces?
Like a fish in the water. It's my element. I've been engaged in this process since I was 15, whether in music with samples or during my time as a Film editor in Paris in the early 2000s. It's about assembling unrelated elements on a personal timeline, creating a new narrative with my own perspective—a puzzle of different periods of time.

Are these pieces a reflection of your emotions or influenced by others?
Both. They somewhat reflect what influences me and my emotions, but not always explicitly. My brain serves as an interface to convey my unique vision, and the cardinal rule is never to copy.

Any advice for aspiring artists?
Keep it real, be inventive, stay curious. I resonate with Oscar Wilde's quote: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”