Etienne

​ETIENNE – SCULPTOR

By: Eden Carter

Location: Salon du Vieux Colomber / 78 rue Bonaparte

End Date: Nov 10 2014

ETIENNE brings you close, hugs you tight and takes you on a dreamy walk through an expression of human pleasure. The kind of exhibit that makes you stumble into a rose-colored fog and walk around grinning like some fool who’s just fallen in love. Better yet—it’s free.

It isn't often you'll make your way to the 6th arrondisement in search of affordable discoveries, but I suggest everyone with a spare minute takes a stroll up to Place Saint Sulpice for a little pocket friendly enchantment.

Etienne began doing solo shows in the early 90’s, a time when most of the sculptors with works displayed around Paris were long dead. A few years later he began to discover an international market, leaving his home country of France to work in the USA, China and the Netherlands. Lucky for us, he’s back, and can be found in the middle of our gorgeous city. I happened upon this show one morning, noticing the four largest sculptures in the show surrounding Fountain Saint Sulpice. Pleasantly accessible, this viewing creates a charming platform for those of varying preference and opinion to mingle and contemplate as they wander by. This breezy, leaf-covered teaser provides a taste of his airy swooping lines, delicate balance and romantic narrative, but don’t leave without taking the extra steps to La Mairie du 6e to see the rest of Etienne's work.

Put simply, these sculptures are beautiful. Etienne’s body of work provides clear representation of human connection to the senses - touch, sound, scent and taste - while the viewing audience cleverly makes use of the fifth sense, sight. Walking around the base of these sculptures one can observe their architectural marvel. Such colossal bronze forms manage to balance on the tiniest foundation like a foot on its toes, a resting elbow or the wing of a bird. Weightlessness is given added physicality by birds in flight themed through many of his pieces and the hollow gaps within a human figure or face.

Etienne uses smooth lines and few details visible to an untrained eye. People have no hair, no textures to their skin or muscular definition to their form, yet we feel them as if they were standing and breathing before us. With little prodding we sense the character's femininity or masculinity, the closeness between two lovers and the delicacy of a touch. From genius craftsmanship the bronze yields clarity to the expression in a human face, a slouching shoulder or relaxed human hand and we dive into each scenario as if it were our own. You understand the context of a discussion, visualize the movement of the man contemplating his glass of wine, feel the intimate touch of someone kissing their lover.

Extravagant yet minimalist, Etienne gives us concise representation of pleasure, indulgence and emotion. The uplifting, gravity-defying love that makes our world an inspired place to be.

#eden #art #sculpture #6eme