365 Days

This is a deeply engrossing read and a well-crafted visual representation of the daily thoughts and worklife of a fascinating artist. A pastiche of comic book, collage and diary, "365 Days" covers the span of about a year in the life of the artist. Not only does this work provide an insight into the fascinating world-view of the author/artist, it is also laced with keen observations of human behavior (other friends and artists as well as members of her own family), assessments of media (the news coverage leading up to and into the invasion of and war in Iraq as well as descriptions of movies or books that Ms. Doucet encounters). Doucet takes you inside her head where you learn that, even though she is a prolific artist, she constantly worries about not getting enough done, about the logistics of collaborating with other artists, and how to make enough money to live and eat. Although her insights into other people are fascinating, at all times the star of "365 Days" is Doucet herself. The art of the last century was collage and pastiche, while the diaristic impulse has defined the start of this century (Blogs, YouTube, comic books, the popularity in the publishing world of diaries and memoirs, etc.). This book combines these two forms in new and unique ways. Julie Doucet came to prominence as a comic book artist over the early 1990s with a dark and unique sense of humor who was willing to expose her own quirks and proclivities (see her New York Diaries for instance) in almost excruciating detail. After having "given up" being a comic book artist, she has instead concentrated on linocut, silkscreening and collage. In this book she combines her drawings with cutout words and images and also describes her daily practice as an artist working on her silkscreening and linocut prints. This is an ambitious, yet highly personal work that will inspire and intrigue. In the end it leaves you wanting more.