MV Interview: Pierre-Jean Chabert, Sculptor

[MassiveVoodoo]

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Now that is a huge hippo or a small guy, eh?
We of Massive Voodoo think this is amazing and since we know the sculptor in person we bring you a really cool interview with this talented guy, Pierre-Jean Chabert.

The interview was done by Roman.
We hope you enjoy the read!

You will find it linked up in the MV Interview section, here.

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MV Interview with Pierre-Jean Chabert

Pierre-Jean, now it is time to sit down with a coffee and some piano music to ask you some questions. I am happy that you accepted to be interviewed by Massive Voodoo. You are a very kind guy and I am looking forward to hear some answers from you. We both did meet up in Brussels on the great event that is called the Painting Crusade in 2013 and had a funny and way too short conversation.

Since then we are 'facebook friends' and I am always awe-inspired when I see your sculpting work there. That is the main reason why I wanted to do that interview with you! I think your work can inspire so many others. Thank you for providing the photos of your work for this article.
Now let's talk.

Roman:
So, let us know a little about you, please? Who are you, where do you live? How did you become a sculptor?

Pierre-Jean:
Ok then, my name is Pierre-Jean CHABERT, just moved 9 months ago near the city of Tours in France after 15 years in Paris. I needed fresh air and Nature around. And now that’s perfect.
Well, for the work, I was for 10 years an actor trying to live decently, but that was an insecure job, so I had the opportunity to work 6 years in a financial business, not my passion, not very creative for me but I learned a lot and it helps me now to sell my work.
During that period, I made 2 stopmotions films with friends and I discovered polymer clay and the world of the minis. And since 2006, I tried to sculpt miniatures, I learned on internet and I met others sculptors and painters. To progress and get better skills, I did, after work, a day in the week, 3 hours clay with life model for 3 years. And then I quit finance in 2010 for the dark side (or maybe the opposite…): creativity and freedom.

Roman:
Is sculpting your daily work? Are you doing it fulltime? Where do you work? Do you own a workshop?

Pierre-Jean:
Yes, I am very lucky, I do sculpt for living since 2010, 5 days a week and before meeting my wife that was 7 days a week, as many other artists do. But that’s good to have a break and coming back with fresh eyes and mind.

When I was in Paris I had a 16 m² workshop, a good space to start. Now since we moved near Tours, I have 100 m² in an old factory of 10 000m² with about 100 artists inside. That’s great not to be alone, (you know what I mean), sharing a coffee, an advice, some help or discussions, fiestas, …

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Roman:
Which Scales are you sculpting in and what are your main subjects?

Pierre-Jean:
I don’t work in scales as we do in miniature, but in sizes. Mostly between 15 cm and 60 cm, depends if it’s a bust, head, or full body. ½, 1/3 , 1/4 but I begin recently to work bigger, this is an obvious evolution. It’s been a month, I am doing an hippo head 130 cm long about scale 1. A first one for me but, but that very exciting (see top above).

I mostly work on animals, lot of head, some human portraits, sometimes full body. In miniature sculpting, as holidays hobby, I like fantasy and science fiction.
Roman: Which sculpting clays and putties do you prefer for your work?

Pierre-Jean:
Water based clay. I love it. You can work very fast and change things when ever you want. This is from the ground of our planet, but that’s not petrol, it’s recyclable and not pollutant, a quite clean material.
After you can mold it, and cook it, between 980 and 1300°C to get a good firmness. The only inconvenient is that you have to control humidity with water spray and plastic bags.
And it’s a bit cold for my fingers on the morning. I can use a kilo or two or more than 250 kilos for the hippo‘s head.

When I do miniatures which is not very often, I use sculpey firm (gray) and super sculpey (pink) mixed together, and magic sculp or milliput for accessories or fine work.

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Roman: How do you start a project? How do you plan it, where do you start from? Where do you find your inspiration?
Pierre-Jean:
Most of the time, I begin a sculpture in my head, but I don’t draw, my drawing is not good enough. I don’t write anything on it, i try to stay free and i keep it, i turn around in mind. It’s a free selection, when an idea is coming regularly, I try to do it. Some others fall and lose themselves in the dark, and sometimes return to the surface a year later as “Dos argenté” did. (cf photo Gorille sur son poing)

When I feel ready, and I have the pose and the history defined, I select pictures on internet. I don’t trust anymore my brain at this point, cause we are interpreting , and to avoid that I need references. Strong visuals, I print them and stick them to the wall. Ideas come from books, internet, video, …and most of the time because I want to do an animal in particular. For that, I work on maquettes in clay, some small work, to apprehend forms and dynamics of the subject and after I can begin the bigger sculpture.

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Gorille sur son poing​

Roman:
Which is your favourite sculpt of yours so far and why?

Pierre-Jean:
Mmmh difficult to say …I like all of them, with their qualifications and defects, but maybe Rhino, cause this is one of my emblematic work. A turning moment for me.

He seems to be light for a rhinoceros, aerial, but strong and I found a style working on this one. Exposed at the Grand Palais Paris 2013 and received the bronze medal, and the same year, the first place at the Biennale de Rambouillet. So I was really honored and happy for that.

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Rhinocéros​

Roman:
We won’t talk about rituals for work in here as deep as we did in Brussels, but I got one question: Do you sculpt in Silence or is music a strong inspiration when you sculpt. If so which music do you listen to while creating your magnificant and powerful creations?

Pierre-Jean:
I have very good souvenirs of our meeting in Brussels, and this famous discussion about the physical and mind freedom before creation. I ‘d like to meet you again for longer talk on other subjects.

I always listen to something. Soundtracks, classical, pop, rock, electro or quiet music… to start a sculpture, to work the form, the full and the empty, profiles, the dynamics, graphics and textures. Sometimes radio, when I do something precise or redundant.

Roman:
What happens when you are done with your sculpts? I saw some are casted in bronze for example. Do you do exhibitions? Do you sell them?

Pierre-Jean:
I believe that the artists have to do exhibitions, this is a very important part of the job. Exit the cave, be on the stage and show the work.
Waiting for words, good or bad. Whishing red selling points will be posed. So I do personal exhibitions each year or year and half (most in France and Switzerland) and several collective ones.

I don’t think you can work very well with an empty stomach. Let’s be realistic. We have to live, to eat, to earn money to produce. To earn money to be free in creation. But that’s my point of view. So when the sculpture is finished, I mold it or make it mold and bring it to the foundry I work with, to cast it in bronze. The bronze is a material of trust for my clients and the advantage is that you can duplicate your sculptures even if the cost is important.

Roman:
Are you satisfied with your own creations when they are done? Do you seek perfection in every one of your sculpts or do you still know areas where you could have done better or go further? Do you look more on the overall look of a piece or do you try to sculpt everything you do lifelike from A to Z?

Pierre-Jean:
I always try to go far in the work. I can’t sell a sculpture that I am not proud of. When I have a doubt on something that means there is a problem in the overall harmony. We have to trust us and listen our thoughts. When a detail attract to much attention, I have to correct it for a better reading of the entire sculpture. When I judge the forms and the attitude are good, I try to find liberty in the textures. If not, I destroy the sculpture and begin again.
But as you know, we always find defects on old works.

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Roman:
Are you in any form connected to the world of Miniature Painting? Do you paint Miniatures yourself?

Pierre-Jean:
I don’t paint, I would love to but we can’t do everything. I stay focus and I have more time for sculpture. But I do patina on clay which is not the same way than the miniature painting. I really like your work Roman and I always follow the European painters.

Roman:
Are traditional sculpts – like the ones you do – in your opinion connected to the miniature scene? For example I am sure that many of our readers find inspiration in your work, but do you look on miniatures to find inspiration?

Pierre-Jean:
All Arts are connected I guess. Difference maybe in miniature, everything is precise, it helped me a lot for bigger sculpture. You have to know the technique to be free. The freedom is the most difficult I think, you have to detach yourself from what you learned before.
But the bridge between miniature and traditional sculptures is thin in my opinion. It takes the space and light differently cause of the size.
Feelings are different but they both give lot of emotion. Miniature seems to be very structured and the traditional one could be quite rough. A different vibration.
I don’t look for miniatures or bigger sculptures. I try not to. Even if I love that. I follow on social networks and different events. But if i see a lot of creation, it’s frustrating me. I try not to be too much influenced even if we are already. Cause after I say to myself, everything as be done and I am desperate. It’s again the question of the freedom i guess.

Roman:
Well, for many people it is obvious that what you do is Art. What do you think about Miniature Painting and – sculpting as an Art Form?

Pierre-Jean:
Miniature painting is definitely Art. As sculpting miniature is. This is so crazy what you can do with some hairs… and colors of course. Hopefully you are not painting with your head and hair sorry… to easy Roman. It’s amazing all these different universe and interpretation you are creating in the miniature world.

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Roman:
Coffee or Tea?

Pierre-Jean:
Coffee at work but not a lot and sometimes tea at home with a book and a good fire in the chimney.

Roman:
Wine or Beer? Do you drink a glass when you work or only when you celebrate to have something finished?

Pierre-Jean:
Love wine, red one essentially, but I never drink at work. Lot of artists had a bad way of Life cause of alcohol. After work ,sometimes a beer at the workshop with the others artists is pretty pleasant but I am sure you know what I mean …

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Roman:
What is your favourite movie of all time and why?

Pierre-Jean:
So many hard questions… Maybe “Bernie” a french film by Albert Dupontel. “The nightmare before Christmas” by Tim Burton.“The Fifth element” and “Leon” by Luc Besson. But there are so many… And a french crazy fantasy book by Alain Damasio: “La Horde du Contrevent”

Roman:
Massive Voodoo? As we spoke in Brussels – how did you get to know it?

Pierre-Jean:
Well, I didn’t know Massive Voodoo before Brussels and the Painting crusade. That’s what i love in these miniature events, meeting people and other artists from everywhere. And I like to congratulate you, cause the Voodoo team is a tough group with amazing skills.

Roman:
What is your best tip you would give to a beginner in sculpting?

Pierre-Jean:
Practice and practice again, trust you (but not too much), and enjoy !!!


Thank you for your time, Jean-Pierre!
Thanks a lot for your confidence, the coffee and this interview Master Monk.

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