Arts and Heritage
An encounter with the sculptor M.P.C.E.M. au Trévoux
«My art is made of suggestions of ideas and mystery»
It’s in a farm in Trévoux situated in Langor, between Quimperlé and Pont-Aven that M.C.P.C.E.M. choose to work. The artist who like you and me has both a first and last name, has chosen these 5 letters to sign his creations. 5 letters which means (when spelled in French) Movement For Body And the Mind, which are in itself expressions of deep thought and consistency.
One can say that the expression of art here is apprehended at a distance of its comfortable or decorative dimension, to underline the total commitment that is needed from the artist. A commitment which is alive and vibrant.
The French painter Jean Bazaine (1904-2001) wrote that «painting needs men who are drowning» that is to say men who give themself totally to their art. As a sculptor in metal, M.C.P.C.E.M. is one of these men. Wholehearted with no half measures. Art is for him an incarnation, his reason for being and living, far removed from the current fashions trends. His tools are not harmless paint brushes,but pliers, pincers, hammers and scissors. The noises coming out of his workshop from his quiet garden are those of grinding wheels, saws and blowtorches.
A passionate fight
For him, art is not about of hopeless deconstruction, of the sweet abandonment to inspiration, of narcissistic modelling, it is instead a struggle with materials, as harsh and passionate as the biblical fight like Jacob against the angel, this is a fight in which so many artists would recognize themselves.
“The act of creation, says M.P.C.E.M. responds both to an inner necessity, as well as an urgency to fulfill a vital need. In his battle with mateials, the artist externalizes sensations, ideas and poses questions that words alone cannot totally express. He wishes to provide a tangible offer, while preserving a certain spontaneity. One cannot express better the spiritual dimension of any artistic experience. An artwork is first of all, a work of the mind.
The artist who paints, writes, sculpts, or plays music, does not only use their techniques, their know-how, and their skills with the material, the words, and the notes, they also give substance to these feelings. An embodiment nourished by history, sub-consciousness, and passion.
Unreflected thoughts
M.P.C.E.M. adds that he wants to sculpt “unreflected thoughts”, lifting the veil on the genesis of a work of art. When does a sculpture begin? and when is it finished? M.P.C.E.M. demonstrates this with sketches of his first thoughts., the first drawings that come to his mind. A sketch made of one line, then a second, then a curve, and then a volume that takes shape and amplitude.
Eventually the time will come when M.P.C.E.M. will forget these first sketches
He will find, as if unwittingly, in contact with the material, testing its resistance and flexibility shapes that will impose themselves naturally. Only the sensitivity and intelligence of the sculptor will make the work happen – a victory from emptiness. « My art is made of suggestions, ideas and mystery », says M.P.C.E.M. These are the ingredients that make each work a recipe for celebration.
Jean MARC. / Translation from original text Benoit Bucher
