[WOMEN'S LOOK] Her look transforms lines of force into imaginary landscapes. Following on from a fine career as artistic director, Solène Tartivelle has given substance to her passion to become a painter. Meeting with a resolutely free Tiger.

You introduce yourself ?

I am painter and artistic director, specializing in store scenography for luxury brands. And these two activities are complementary in my search for aesthetic emotion, for this moment of poetry that extracts us from our daily lives to access the dream. I live and work in Paris, after a few years in Switzerland and New York. 

What does a woman's view of the world change?

A woman's gaze is undoubtedly more gentleness, altruism, from
understanding, patience but also more pragmatism. Without falling into clichés, a woman may more often think of her "family", real or of heart, to support, protect, entertain or develop her. The notions of "common good" and solidarity are perhaps also better understood and therefore put into practice by women.

But it's a huge topic that could be discussed and debated for hours! And with men too of course, for a right of
response and to move things forward.

And in the world of art, what does a woman's gaze bring?

The art world has long been very masculine: fortunately it is changing. Women are increasingly visible and valued. I would like to pay tribute to the work of Camille Morineau, for example, art historian and co-founder of Aware, an association that highlights women artists (@awarewomenart). She rode a the first "feminine" exhibitions, Elles@centrepompidou, in 2011, honoring female artists from the collections of the National Museum of Modern Art. That was only ten years ago.

I will also mention the excellent Femmes d'Art, the media of women who make the world of art, by journalist Marie-Stéphanie Servos (@femmesdart_). She offers a podcast, a magazine and now a book ("Women of Art" published by Leduc), all exciting opportunities to discover the remarkable work of women artists and actresses in the art world.

I dream of the day when we will no longer speak of female artists - the Anglo-Saxon equivalent being "female artist" - but just of an artist, without gendering the creator of a work that is not. You have to work on it every day, to be visible and participate in the great creative and artistic dialogue, on an equal footing with men.

How to create this equality?

It comes through self-affirmation, confidence. Unfortunately, women tend to fade away, even today. We miss an opportunity to share a good idea in a meeting, we agree to be cut off in said meeting. You don't volunteer for the very demanding assignment but which is going to be a career booster. In art, it's sometimes the same, women doubt, don't dare whereas a man will question himself less, the ego sometimes (often?) coming to the rescue of a lesser talent. And that's where the beauty comes in, the confidence given by appearance.

I want to ask you how makeup, beauty products, play a role in this... 

To feel beautiful is to be more confident in yourself and in your abilities. And putting on scarlet lipstick, far from being trivial or trivial, is a gesture of self-affirmation, a way of signaling one's presence and symbolically taking power.

Your view on... the cause of women: what still needs to move?

My driving force is freedom. It guides my life and my decisions. And it is freedom in all its aspects that must be explored for the cause of women to advance. The financial freedom of women, for example, is fundamental, but we talk about it very little. The wage gap is completely unjustified and sometimes leads to absurdities, under the guise of female emancipation as well. For example, why pay the couple's charges and fees 50/50 when the spouse generally earns (much) more?

Women also more easily accept part-time work or a break from work for several years, which has a direct impact on the
career, salary and retirement. When there is financial freedom, there is freedom, freedom to travel, freedom to continue learning but also freedom to leave an abusive companion, freedom to raise your children as you wish etc...

What are the other dimensions of freedom?

The freedom to decide your life, to choose who you want to be and to work towards that goal is also a major topic. I would like society to recognize and value the ambition of women. It's a very positive desire actually to want to progress and challenge yourself. And the ambitious woman should not be stigmatized, when her male counterpart is fully accepted.

And in a lighter but not so trivial register, the freedom or even the right to dress as you want, regardless of age, morphology, place or time. Appearance, clothing choices should not condition respect. Wearing a dress, even a short one, and walking around calmly without sexist remarks, noises or disapproving looks (from other women!)... this is not yet the case everywhere. Assuming and affirming your body, your clothing choices, feeling beautiful and strong, this should be an inalienable right.

How should the cosmetics industry change to support this movement?

The cosmetics industry has a great responsibility on several levels.
First, for health, it is important to use as few harmful ingredients as possible and to clearly communicate the compositions and possible risks. These products being in contact with the skin, the eyes, the mucous membranes daily, it is an essential fundamental work.

Second, communication campaigns affect self-image. Professionals must provide dreamy, aspirational models without promoting unrealistic or even unreal standards... Some filters literally transform a person's physique until they are unrecognizable! It's a strong trend on social media and I think it's a responsibility of professionals in the cosmetics industry not to get caught up in it.

Women should feel uplifted, not constantly confronted with fake perfection. And this is all the more important if the brand is aimed at a
young audience, for whom identity, image and self-esteem are intimately linked.

We're talking about women's eyes, what's your look on... mascara and make-up?

Makeup is for me, the possibility of sublimating oneself. It is an act of assertiveness that is also very playful. We can create a "signature" look, we can play with trends, explore new products, new brands, new colors. This is also a space of great freedom. And you can push the approach and develop your artistic fiber, on yourself and / or on others. The title "make-up artist" seems appropriate to me because some looks are sometimes really the work of an artist.

If you had to choose one of the ALL TIGERS mascaras, which one would you choose?

The EXPRESS YOUR VIEWS length mascara without hesitation. I am obsessed with the length of the eyelashes because it really transforms the look, making it more beautiful and above all more expressive.