A NEW SCULPTOR TO ADD TO MY BOOKS


As soon as I got back from the Canyons, I began sniffing around to see what was on in Paris. Laurent sent me over a photo of a sculpture. The man, Christophe Charbonnel was on at the Senat. It’s a lovely little space in the Luxembourg gardens which we have « visited » on quite a few occasions. Usually several artists are shown at the same time. It looked rather curious as a treatment in earth, plaster or bronze so off I went.

Christophe Charbonnel started his career as a designer then in model making for the Walt Disney studios in Montreuil (an outer suburb of Paris). He began his sculpting in the 1960’s.
His works are either really small and could be picked up (I guess) in one hand or absolutely gigantic. Heads, bodies, parts of the body, animals….they seemed to have a strength about them and even their « look » is proud.

Orphée V in bronze

The Unsubmissive - bronze

Bust of a Chinese - bronze


I can’t say that I liked the huge sculptures. In some way they looked as if they had been left out in the rain and were rusty.












Goliath  in bronze


But the smaller ones had something about them which was very enticing….not that I wanted to touch them as I so often do with bronze work but they draw you in with their movement or regard.  Frankly, now I look at them, they weren't that small either.......







Athéna in bronze

Persée iV in bronze





Thésée and the Monumental Amazon - Bronze



He seems to be quite well known as some of his really large work is exhibited in a few five star hotels. As I don’t frequent such places in France, I was not to know.


Before I left, this picture caught my eye. I wonder why I thought it looked like Seraphine’s work. Of course it wasn’t…..


Pascal Honoré

Commentaires

Lo a dit…
I guess I was more enthusiastic about his sculptures than you were. I thought they were very striking and I love the rusted effect used on some of them. I also loved their eyes and thought they were staring back at me at times. Definitely something I would love to own :-)
24/8/15 17:49
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