Fifth day of the JEMA 2021, the journey continues to the outcome of the piece, in search of the emotion of life.
I give you its path to the final touch through these few words, and give you a glimpse of the result of my process through the video portfolio of the past year.
It was born from an idea, from an image, a sound, a movement ; it’s carnal. I have to create it from this nude loaf of almost grey clay. This idea is in a state of becoming I work it, I model it, I give it shape, I force it to become. A global form first, a volume. I judge it, I gaze at it, I adopt it. I imagine its structure, its body, I look at it again and again from all angles, turn it as I move around, and model it some more. It’s full of movement, caressing, stretching.
The form materializes, a little resting time to dry, I scratch it, I coat it with slurry, I stick it, unstick it, I place and replace it, everything is in movement on the «tournette», I check it from all angles, it is being created from the touch of my fingers I imagine it already finished, it will be beautiful. I already hope that it will be loved by the eyes of others.
Then, when it comes for the time for it to be put in the oven, a quivering, anxiety followed by excitement, enthusiasm suddenly comes over me. After all, it’s the same emotion as when we put a cake in the oven after having licked the plate to imagine its taste. it will come out in biscuit, less fragile, still porous ready to be enhanced by the glaze.
I soak it in the glaze or I add small touches with a brush. Like the dew, it will shine in the morning sunlight. At the second baking, it is the same quivering, quaking, the same anxiety followed by excitement and enthusiasm, but this time, it is the last step, 48 hours,..it’s a long time to wait, a very important moment, a rendez-vous : anything could happen.
I take it out, success, I am happy, a feeling of contentement…I’m moved.
I hope this piece will be desired and loved. When it leaves my workshop, it’ll take a piece of me with it.
