Cocteau

  Cocteau decorated the Saint Blaise des Simples chapel in 1959 in Milly-la-Forêt. Regular visits have engraved his drawings in my memory: drawings traced in writing, linear, simplified down to the line – character trait. He writes, describes then catches the images staged in his nets of lines and points.

It remains to read between the lines.

50 years after his death, ceremonies and tributes are being prepared. We are in 2013. Geographic proximity has led to the search for a form of homage to Cocteau driven by the current excitement.

I provoked him, challenged him and two months later here was his presence, an encounter as he describes it in his book “The Difficulty of Being”. By groping I found it and drew it then extrapolated into projects and sculptures.

Cocteau's method: Keep only lines and screens to filter personality preserving whole mystery Portrait N° 9 h= 60 cm metal and wood

- Cocteau's Christic portrait : metal and wood   h = 65 cm        -Points, Screen, lines : Cocteau  h = 60 cm

this encounter opened an artistic possibility to research the Ayotzinapa 43 – presences. The 43 disapeared students in september 2014 in the Guerrero State of Mexico... 43 identities drawings and black painting on hurt paper (perforated, torn to find them) in a penetrable installation, present in France and in Mexico. The public gives body to these portraits / presences in suspension.

Thanks Cocteau .

In January 2015 attack against Charlie Hebdo. Direct death – No more presences but questions about impact, provocation, strenght of the drawings themselves, and the act of drawing. With 1 Stroke, with 1 Line, Stroke for Stroke the series arose : Cariscriptures between caricatures, writings and erasures.

The third encounter happened in 2020  from august to october during our exhibition in the garden of the  Chapel of Saint Blaise des Simples where Cocteau is burried. Milly-la-Forêt, 91490 (Essonne). Little by little the dialogue with Cocteau animated each of the pieces. He managed to reverse the roles ! Alors qu’en 2013 I challenged him to introduce himself in 2013 and it was he who now invited us to meet. Here we are, present face to face. Carved wood - cultural tree