Is the technical complexity of bronze restrictive?
In sculpture, my first step is to forget the technique in order to feel the form. To forget who you are to refine your feeling with the material. This is how metal starts to germinate. When the transformation occurs, the technique comes to support the making.
What was the process behind the bonsai sculptures?
As a bronzesmith, we create pieces that will endure. All parts made by bronzesmiths must be removable in order to be redecorated. They must be able to be dissociated and reassembled without the mounting systems being visible. My Bonsai sculptures meet these constraints.
©Pierre Salagnac
What is a key moment in your career?
When my master handed me the keys to his atelier. He was in the hospital; his days were numbered. He told me that I was ready, that he believed in me to take over his workshop, and that he would always be there for me. He died shortly after. He is still there for me.
Is your craft endangered?
For some parts, yes. Bronzesmith is made up of three specific techniques: bronze turning, bronze mounting, and chasing. Bronze turning is disappearing. It is still taught at Ecole Boulle, in Paris, but fewer and fewer companies and workshops are practising it today.