Bastien Bonhomme, attention to detail

Photo credit: @Yachoki

What inspired you to create works of art and to become an artist? (events, feelings, experiences...)

After training as an Arts & Métiers engineer, I worked for 6 years in the watch industry in Switzerland and then in the automotive industry in Paris. At the time, I managed a team of 5 Research & Development engineers. It's very mental work and I feel more and more the need to do things with my hands. I then became interested in mechanics and woodworking, which is difficult to practice in Paris and rather expensive. In 2018, I choose to try my hand at sculpture at the art school right next to my home. I immediately liked the sensations and then decided to experiment with working the earth on my own. I buy a block of clay and a few tools then start working on the bar in my kitchen in the 11th arrondissement. I quickly take pleasure in sculpting the material, I escape. Three weeks later my American Bison was born. Daily life quickly takes over and I don't take the time to sculpt. At the end of 2019, I decided to take a 6-month sabbatical to travel to Asia. The return in March 2020, in full confinement, is difficult but it represents for me the opportunity to continue what I had started 18 months earlier. The work of effects and textures seduces me immediately. I seek to give movement, to make my sculptures alive. I don't think about making a work of art, I simply create. The changeover takes place when I contact the Barthélémy Art foundry in the Drôme in September 2020 to convert my bison from clay to bronze. A few months later, I made the choice to leave my job as an engineer to embark on the adventure full-time. My first bronze was not yet out of the foundry at the time, but I can feel it: there is something to dig into.

What is your artistic background, the techniques and subjects you have experimented with so far?

I have no academic training in the Art and I don't miss it today. I am not subject to the rules, frameworks and influences that these formations can sometimes give. I love the freedom I have in creating. To date, I have experimented with two modeling materials: clay, which is well known, and Plastiline, which is a professional modeling clay that does not dry out. I then transform my models into lost-wax bronze. It is an incredible, sensual, immutable material, which is sublimated by the reflections of light. The animal theme naturally imposed itself from my first sculpture. And for good reason, I have always been very sensitive to the beauty of the animal world. Today I want to pay homage to him by interpreting this fascinating world according to my imagination.

What are the 3 aspects that differentiate you from other artists, making your work unique?

I don't necessarily seek to differentiate myself from other artists, I seek to be myself and do what I love. What characterizes my work is above all the attention to detail, to seek perfection in my opinion from all angles of the sculpture, the finesse of the lines, the textures, the small detail that changes everything. Then, the impression of life that I try to give to my sculptures, to capture them at a given moment, to imagine them in motion while turning around. Finally, I like to give my animals quirky, almost human expressions. We identify, we are moved, we become attached.

Silverback gorilla, original work in bronze , 42 x 32 x 27 cm.

Where does your inspiration come from?

It comes from animals in general, they move me, have their own personalities for me. I don't see them as part of a set, but as unique and distinct beings. That's why I never went to a zoo for inspiration. Today there are a multitude of channels for contemplating animals in their natural environment: animal reports, exhibitions... Cartoons and animated films also inspire me, especially for the character traits that I choose to give to my creations. .

What is your artistic approach? What visions, sensations or feelings do you want to evoke in the viewer?

I draw my inspiration from the beauty and diversity of the animal world. Beyond a simple representation of the animals that I choose, I strive to make them alive, in motion while bringing an expression or an attitude that will create attachment. It is this particularity, captured at the time, that I will then seek to transcribe in bronze. You could say that emotion is the common thread running through my approach, from that which I feel when meeting the animal, to that which it ends up finding in my hands over the weeks. Through crises and darker periods, art must remain a vector of social ties and above all continue to inspire positive emotions in the public.

What is the process of creating your works? Spontaneous or with a long preparatory process (technical, inspiration from art classics or other)?

I work quite spontaneously. I am always on the lookout for animals that I would like to sculpt. It can come from a video on social networks, an animal encountered during a walk or a simple photo of a book cover. I quickly project myself on a posture and on the characteristic of the animal that I want to bring out. I feed a list as I go. When I finish a sculpture and it's time to start a new one, I pick from this list according to my mood at the time. I always start with a sketch to the final dimensions and then I launch into the creation of the internal structure that will hold the earth.

African cheetah, original work in bronze , 100 x 50 x 39 cm.

Do you use a particular working technique? if so, can you explain it?

I don't have a different technique than other artists. They have always remained the same: an internal structure to hold the earth if necessary, my hands and some tools. There is, however, room for innovation in the tools and the way to use them to give innovative textures.

Are there any innovative aspects in your work? Can you tell us which ones?

I learned a lot from contemporary sculptors around me (Michel Bassompierre, Umberto, Steve Winterburn...). I don't think I'm particularly innovative in this area, I try in any case to bring modernity to bronze with colorful patinas and in tune with the times.

Do you have a format or medium that you are most comfortable with? if yes, why ?

I carve for the moment between 40 centimeters and 1 meter in length because I like the detail work and I don't take as much pleasure on smaller pieces. I feel a need to do very large format, that is to say more than 1 meter and a half. I'm in no rush, it will come naturally over time. Regarding the material, I choose it according to the need I have and the complexity of the work I want to do. I would rather use plastiline for complex and repetitive shapes like the hundreds of suction cups of an octopus and rather clay for simpler shapes like the cheetah where the work with the material is more sensual.

Red octopus, original work in bronze , 33 x 42 cm.

Where do you produce your works? At home, in a shared workshop or in your own workshop? And in this space, how do you organize your creative work?

I set up a workshop at home in Nantes, my hometown. I don't need a lot of space yet, a large height-adjustable table is enough for me to create any sculpture up to about 1 meter. Today, my working time is divided into three stages: creation time, trips to the foundry or for exhibitions and the development of my communication (photos, videos, applications, website, social networks, etc.). When I am in the creation phase, I can sculpt 5 hours in a row as well as 35 minutes. I know how to listen to myself, and I don't want to force things. I know that I can easily switch to background tasks and resume later. A flexibility in the work that I appreciate on a daily basis.

Does your work lead you to travel to meet new collectors, for fairs or exhibitions? If so, what does it bring you?

I travel to France and Europe for fairs and exhibitions. This year I did 9 in my name or represented by galleries: PAD Paris Art + Design in the Tuileries Gardens, Golf international Barrière de La Baule, Salon National des Artistes Animaliers de Bry-sur-Marne, Art Montpellier or even local art fairs. I like to be in contact with the public and to exchange: a unique opportunity to know their impressions and their feelings about my work. What a pleasure to discover their attitude at first contact with the pieces, as they look at them, turn around, look for the details. It's a real source of motivation, I need it.

How do you imagine the evolution of your work and your career as an artist in the future?

First of all, I want to learn to master the patina, it's one of my goals for next year and the following years. Indeed, the patina represents an important part of the final image of the work. I would like to be able to transcribe precisely what I have in my head and in my heart directly on the piece, and thus avoid any bias both in the understanding and in the interpretation of a skater. The question will soon arise of having a larger workshop, why not shared with sculptors or other artistic professions in order to create synergies and promote exchanges. On the development of my career, I want to continue on the dynamic that I have had for two years now by being proactive and showing my work to as many people as possible.

What is the theme, style or technique of your latest artistic production?

This is my sculpture La cavale in bronze, made up of 3 gibbons on the run after stealing a hell of a lot of booty. I had the opportunity to meet this primate several times during a trip to Indonesia. The way of moving and his attitude immediately fascinated me and made me laugh. The brooms of their endless arms above their heads is a movement that has remained etched in my memory and that I wanted to reproduce in this work. I have associated expressions around mischief and laughter.

The horse, original work in bronze , 70 x 46 x 47 cm.

Can you tell us about your most important exhibition experience?

I couldn't imagine, two years ago, participating in so many exhibitions.

The most significant event for the moment has been the Art Montpellier fair which has just taken place. This is the first time that a gallery owner has represented me and dedicated a stand to me to exhibit all of my bronze works. I made the trip for the opening and the first night to discuss with the public. Thank you to the Bouillon d'Art gallery in Bordeaux for allowing me to present my work in the midst of French and international contemporary art galleries.

If you could have created a famous work in the history of art, which one would you choose ? And why ?

I immediately think of a contemporary work: La pietà de Jago.

The first time I saw this work, I was speechless. I am very attached to details and precision in the gesture, Jago pushes this to its climax here. I could spend hours looking at every detail of this sculpture. In addition, the work of the marble and the mastery of the proportions are remarkable. They do not forgive the slightest mistake unlike clay where it is easy to add material if too much has been removed.

If you could invite one famous artist (dead or alive) to dinner, who would it be? How would you suggest he spend the evening?

I would like to invite Michel Bassompierre. I had the chance to visit his workshop near Nantes and to meet him at the same time. He is a character who has inspired me since the beginning. I imagine he is a bon vivant, so I would offer him a convivial dinner at home to learn more about his career and his 50-year career.