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Art

DIY DOCS: ARRACHE TOI UN ŒIL

In DIY DOC’S, we take a look at how illustrators, artists and designers put their stamp on Dr. Martens shoes. Painting, tattooing or de-constructing – we’re giving them the creative freedom to express themselves off of the canvas. 
 
Meet French artist duo Arrache-toi un Œil, who customised our White 1460 boots for our DM’s stand at the Paris Festival of Physchadellic Music last weekend. We caught up with Emy and Gaspard of Arrache-toi un Œil to talk about their customisation, inspiration and more… 
 

Arrache-toi un Œil customised our White 1460 boots, of which were showcased at the Paris Festival of Psychadellic Music. Photo by Immortalizr.
 
 
Introduce yourself:
We are Emy and Gaspard from Arrache-toi un Œil! – an artistic duo specialised in graphic art, illustration, and silk-screen printing.
We work a lot in the music scene. We started doing a lot of different gig posters and now we also make album covers as well as t-shirt designs.
Since a few years ago we’ve also started to develop some 3D screen-printed paper installations, and more personal works of art. 
 
Who or what do you take inspiration from?
Emy: I like all that came from the Art Nouveau style, but also primitive Flemish art, 19th century ornaments, the Pre-Raphaelites, old etchings, art brut, psychedelic art…
I also get a lot of inspiration from travelling, nature, architecture, and fabric patterns…
Gaspard: I like to mix collages, drawings, using textures and colors… some of my inspirations are: architecture, photography, primitive and psychedelic art, abstraction, geometry, optic art… 
 
Arrache-toi un Œil artwork showcased in Geneva.
 
 
Do you have an illustration or project you’re most proud of?
Emy: In November we were invited to come to Geneva to make a 3D paper installation. It was in the main entrance hall of the Usine venue, the place is huge and we felt a lot of pressure for this project since it was for a nice festival that we really like, similar to the Monstre fest.
We just had a week to make it, and we wanted to make it look like a kind of psychedelic jungle… let’s just say we didn’t sleep a lot. But we made it!
Gaspard: Some record covers I made for Serendip/lab records, like “French Synth Lovers #2”LP or for Atom Cristal LP. 
 
Arrache-toi un Œil Atom Cristal LP artwork.
 
 
Talk us through your customised Dr. Martens, was it a challenge working on a pair of boots?
Emy: I never had the chance to draw on some shoes, when I was teenager I often drew on my military jackets, tote bags or my friends’ leather jackets. So I thought it could be fun to customise Dr. Martens boots, playing with the color and the shape of them.
Gaspard: It’s new, so fun and scary at the same time… but I like the idea! 
 
Do you listen to music while you work? Name three tracks you can’t hear enough of:
Emy: Yes, I always listen to music when I draw. When I work for special bands I listen a lot of their music, otherwise of course there is our favorite playlist, which changes over the months.
These days our three favorite tracks are:
Sievehead – No grapes
Windhand – Two Urns
Title Fight – Like a Ritual
Gaspard: Yes, we do listen to quite a lot… Hypnopazuzu (collaboration from David Tibet and Youth) “Magog at the MayPole”, Royal Headache “Need You”,Inter Arma “Potomac”. 
 
Arrache-toi un Œil customised our White 1460 boots, of which were showcased at the Paris Festival of Psychadellic Music. Photo by Immortalizr.
 
 
If you could have any super-power, what would it be?
Emy: Teleportation.
Gaspard: Same. 
 
If you could draw anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
Emy: A big Main coon cat.
Gaspard: A dinosaur. 
 
Tell us your favourite thing about the city you live in:
Emy: I really like the architecture of Paris, and being surrounded by old beautiful buildings. There are a lot of museums, art galleries, and nice libraries which is really great. What I miss a lot though is big gardens. I like to going to La Maison Rouge (there are usually good exhibitions there) hanging in the little streets of Paris and going to shows…
Gaspard: I like having access to lot of culture, concerts, museums… I like to walk down the river, by night with the lights on the old buildings. For concerts Montreuil is nice with different places like Les Instants Chavirés, La Comedia, Jardin d’Alice… For exhibitions: La Halle Saint-Pierre, Galerie Martel for some original comics exhibition. 
 
Arrache-toi un Œil customised our White 1460 boots, of which were showcased at the Paris Festival of Psychadellic Music. Photo by Immortalizr.
 
 
Tell us about your first pair of Dr. Martens:
Emy: I think I was 15 or 16 when I had my first Dr. Martens boots. I was in my Tank Girl fan period, and so I was looking to have boots with shells, I guess it also suits with beginning to hang out in the punk hxc scene.
Gaspard: I just have one pair, I think I was 18 or 19, and I still have them (didn’t use them during many years, but they are still ok!) 
 
And finally, what do you stand for?
Emy: An Australian friend told me once about their motto there: She’ll be right mate! Since then, I adopted it.
Gaspard: Life won’t wait. 
 
Find our more about Arrache-toi un Œil on their website, Instagram and Facebook
 

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