Françoise Ferreux
sculptor of an imaginary world
Discovering the work of this artist is like immersing yourself in a phantasmagorical world where everyone can let their imagination run wild. the underwater world can rub shoulders with the flora of our mountains. It's up to everyone to see what they want to see or rather imagine.
Like a naturalist, Françoise Ferreux, fascinated by the vegetation of our mountains and the wonderful world of the seabed, lets her imagination wander.
She doesn't copy anything, she re-creates it.
his equipment? Linen twine, matching thread, needles and a pair of scissors are the only items she uses.
She likes raw materials. Sobriety is necessary for him.
His artistic approach is long and repetitive, the gesture simple.
She wants and feels herself deeply connected to the world through the thread and the needle. It's his way of getting to the essential, of "tightening" the bonds of our humanity.
on her work table, in her workshop, Françoise will cut several lengths of linen string - the only material she works with - and which she will patiently connect together using her needle and thread.
@Françoise Saur
On the ground floor of the Espace Malraux in Colmar, a Collection (the artist claims the word) of sculptures made from strands of linen sewn with cotton thread. On the walls of the mezzanine, drawings in black marker on paper. And two demanding choices: sobriety and monochrome – greige at the bottom, black at the top.
With these fifteen square tables specially designed to offer the pieces a horizontal presentation, the White Cube takes on the appearance of a zoological museum with the reasoned display of a naturalist who would have collected sea urchin tests, nautilus or crustacean shells or even driftwood thrown up by the surf and which she would have patiently cataloged before exhibiting them. The material has a lot to do with this first impression: limestone and sand with the burn of time evoked by the ecru color of the linen. But other similarities emerge and the imagination ignites towards new specimens painstakingly (re)constituted. Soft sculptures that the visitor wants to touch (unfortunately this is prohibited, the pieces being fragile).
Françoise Ferreux makes and invents (rather in this order) creatures, organisms, objects all made of linen threads sewn together (the cotton one is invisible except for certain knots). No braiding or weaving. And an obvious affinity with this textile (since 2008) and its roots: the wrappings of Egyptian mummies were made of linen and its use was the majority until its marginalization in the 19th century by cotton, which was more conducive to mechanization.
You can find an article about Françoise Ferreux in "Au coeur du vivant" de Valérie Belmokhtar
From above, the view takes in the entire Collection. On one of the walls – the others are bare – a quote from Marcel Conche taken from the book (2001) which gives its title to the exhibition.
The artist willingly invokes this philosopher (centenary in March): The evidence of Nature and the evidence of death are one and the same evidence. Right of life, right of death… and Françoise Ferreux assumes this temporary role. His sculptures can come apart, come apart. Nevertheless, it gives figure to the unfigurable and measures the immeasurable. A gesture of incarnation.
His felt-tip drawings follow the same approach. That of the gesture: a tiny form – loop, hatching, mesh, parallel lines… – whose repetition generates representations – microcosm or macrocosm – with folds and folds, vegetal or mineral textures, cartography or draping… The doing precedes the concept and a energetic life of the line underlies the technical mastery while his works exude a lot of softness.
Linnaeus believed that scientific knowledge requires naming things. Today these are disappearing, so Françoise Ferreux draws, sews, fantasizes new specimens to compensate for this taxonomic impoverishment. With demanding modesty.
By Luc Maeche
It will thus create a structure.
No braiding, no weaving.
This work, which may seem tedious, will be repeated several times to be able to obtain the desired number of pieces. However, this repetitive gesture is also a source of silence and internal dialogue.
Françoise will then be able to let her imagination “breathe”. she is going to become a sculptor.
“Choose work to achieve great freedom” Françoise Ferreux
The artist never starts with a preconceived idea of what she wants. It is the gestures, the imagery, the texture which will open the path to the meditation necessary for creation.
Like a potter, she will shape her sculpture. The different textured pieces will be assembled, twisted, caressed, cut, undone, sewn again to arrive at the shape that pleases its creator.
It is long and difficult work. It takes perseverance and patience.
The abstraction of color is a deliberate choice.
The entire work must reflect a feeling of naturalness, simplicity but also mystery.
“I want to talk about LIFE” Fr. Ferreux
There is also a fascinating side to the work of Françoise Ferreux. his works are not frozen in time. It can, if it wishes, take them back, remodel them, transform them, make them evolve.
The artist offers us his imaginary collection.
It is up to us to detect the element of mystery nestled within it, this life so fragile and yet so present.
Picture gallery:
@Françoise Ferreux
@Carolle Masson.
Exposition "De la présence de la Nature"2022
Espace d'art contemporain
André Malraux à Colmar.