I don't know anything about art (or so little ...)!
In fact, as too often, between 20 and 40 years old we are
concerned about our career progression, about the success of our family, about
understanding the world around us, about the savings we will have to make for
later… Everybody knows this and has lived it! And then, out of habit, we
continue ...
Finally and for most of us, only materialism, without art other than that which
we undergo every day (the one that is in fashion), without inspiration other
than that which we are obliged to have by what we look, read or listen to ...
The same for me, a young engineer, then a manager in industry, next CEO in
consulting, then finally, deliverance, peasant, first step towards renewal,
rebirth.
No more three-piece suit and English shoes, hello jeans and rubber boots. No
more nickel nails, hello hands full of clay (the earth, the real one, the one
you work on is never dirty) and black nails.
And at the same time, love steps in, an exceptional
encounter after a first marital failure.
There was no longer enough room in me for the deep and inclusive creativity I
had (I own 11 different patents, from bedding to opening canning jars to
protection against air piracy) replaced by a love as invasive as it is assumed.
Brigitte, since it is Her that it is, occupied all my moments, my heart, my
soul, my body, I had given and dedicated my life to her, which She gave me back
so strongly well.
16 years of mad love, complicity, brotherhood, friendship, respect, fusion,
carnal as much as intellectual envy have driven back this creativity to the
very depths of my being, for my greatest happiness. Total sterility therefore
on the creative level. Too much to live in, not enough room.
And then, carried away by a long illness, Brigitte left,
dignified, strong, without any complaint !
An exceptional woman had just left me, and also this world, physically.
But now, She is always in me, with me, and it is She who
feeds in me today this need to create, a mad desire to move my hands according
to my mind, ideas that invade me in abundance, as if this creativity that had
been suppressed for so long came back with violence and wanted to come out of
me through the objects I was going to make, the work that I was going to
produce, with Her, for Her!
And then there is also the olive tree, this mythical tree
which is loaded with almost all the symbols (don't we say that it is the
eternal tree, the tree of peace, the tree of strength and glory, the tree of
luck, the tree of life, the tree of wisdom and many others) and which is also
the sacred tree of the three monotheistic religions.
The work of the olive tree is the first axis of strength of
my creative project
The wood of the olive tree is exceptional, with a high
density, a very fine grain, few fibers, very hard and above all its designs are
masterpieces of nature.
I have continued to cultivate these
trees for over 20 years, I reproduce them, I discovered with them that a work
of art can be natural, alive, perpetuate and be evolutionary.
And cultivating these wonders makes me one of the few artists who
"craft" the material he works with, from which he will make objects
that will grab attention (hopefully).
I just used that « artist » word for the first time, wondering if it
fits me.
I see myself more as a “transformer” who will attempt, in all humility, to
magnify, sometimes divert, an already exceptional material.
This is why I imagined the concept of "xylosophy", integrating wisdom
and knowledge through the development of a total process, from the creation of
the tree (by the seed, the cutting) to the sustainability. eternal wood, by an
almost indestructible object, reshaped by the hand of man.
But it is also an act of faith when it comes to protecting
our environment, since my work consumes nothing more than natural, renewable
energies and materials!
The second axis of strength of my project is the object
itself
Indeed, in a period when artistic creations are taking on
exceptional dimensions, I want to favor creations and works on a human scale.
First of all, I try to ensure that my work results in creations that can easily
be accepted by all audiences, with a minimum consensus, both art professionals
and individuals. Indeed, I do not consider myself at all as a cursed creator.
This is what I call positive art, compared to what I call negative art, which
arouses provocation, challenge, division, of which there are many examples. This
is my bias!
By adding my creativity and the search for what has not yet been explored, as
long as it is possible, because that positivity does not take away from the
originality and the surprise.
With the idea that my work can be found in most places of life (professional,
social, administrative, family and others) without them appearing out of place.
And their size is in this a preponderant element, knowing that for buildings or
larger venues, most of my creations can be made in large format, the only limit
being the size of the parent tree (and there is has very large olive trees…).
The third axis of strength is young children
Of course, this statement may come as a surprise, but having
lived it and given it to my children, art is hardly present in the education
and the lives of toddlers.
I think I can say that the almost only visual arts education for children today
boils down to manga, comics, cartoons as ugly as they are violent that they are
fed on television.
This is why I wanted to make a range of creations specifically for young
people, at their size, made for them, that they can look, touch (yes, yes),
maybe even smell (olive wood has a peculiar scent), in fact that most of their
senses are activated and moved and they learn that there can be another life
than TV.
With the somewhat crazy hopes that they will then want to go to the garden,
pick up a piece of wood and start cutting it with their pocket knives. And
maybe become the artists of tomorrow.
Finally, to conclude, and since it is necessary to speak about it, I would like
to quote what some would call my artistic inspirations, but which I prefer to
quote as "works having brought me emotions", without being able to
very precisely describe these emotions.
My sculpture activity is inspired by several artistic
currents, ranging from conceptual art to surrealism through new realism.
It's true that you can't really relate my work directly to these trends, but
they create an emotional mix in me that leads to more personal creations.
Among the artists who inspire me but without my wanting to go in the same
direction, I could name Jeff Koons (I love Ballon Dog), Niky de St Phalle
(especially her Nanas), Arman, César Baldaccini from Marseilles, Daniel Spoerri
for their visions, but also Yves Klein and Pierre Soulages, for the uniqueness
of their colors ...
I would add that I am from Marseilles (like César), that I am in my
seventies but still very lively, and I live in the countryside near Aix en
Provence, in an admirable environment, mainly made of olive trees (of course ).
Finally, with age helping and after a life of seriousness
and conformity, I really want to become a mountebank (to the tune of the famous
song "The businessman’s blues"), and live as proposed. the great
Caesar, the Marseillais, my fellow citizen: "When you are an artist, you
have fun" !!
And I want to have fun for a long time to come ...
