Dessus Dessous

This illusion is what Marcel Zelmanovitch has recreated by applying this approach to multiple creations; at times invigorating and tempestuous at others delicate and luxurious… Playing with shape, matter and colour we always return to this same principle of layering, which imparts an illusion of depth to a flat surface. Without recourse to trickery we are in the domain of the trompe-l’œil in all its refinement and subtlety. Behind the apparent ease and the freedom of the artist’s strokes are hidden the precise execution and the sumptuous choice of materials: these vibrant, fractured decorative pieces are rendered in silky and delicate materials, a rich mix of wool and mohair coupled with patterns of pure silk.

Marcel Zelmanovitch’s colour choices bear the imprint of the 1960s, the years that sweetened his childhood and echo through his imagery.  Bold, energizing and vibrant; using strong contrasts the artist creates the energy that he seeks to convey.  A particular notion of modernity, an idealised image of this period which has become, as we see here, a timeless aesthetic approach.

There are many aspects here which converge with Christophe Bonnard’s work as ceramic artist. There is colour, of course, but also the use of matter to create the illusion of depth on a level surface. With a craftsman’s technique he displays perfect mastery in the production of his personal artistic expression. Thanks to his empirical research into the behaviour of materials when subjected to radical temperature change, he creates patterns out of the lustre of enamel by applying the results of his molecular calculations and practising his mastery of firing techniques. The pieces he has produced are treasures comparable to fine jewellery and are presented in our gallery’s Dessus Dessous collection with great pleasure.