The sculptor who gives life to bronzes and marbles

Michel Bassompierre is a French sculptor. His website describes him as “the animal sculptor who gives life to bronzes and marbles.” He is also a geek — I’m not pulling his leg, I’m a lot more than a geek too —  with a knack for Instagram although his birthdate wouldn’t identify him as the ideal target for that platform.

He dedicated his life and art, by creating likenesses of endangered species like this larger-than-life gorilla. The reflections on the statue are stunning.

The sculptor who gives life to bronzes and marbles

This chubby bear is probably like the ones we have in the Pyrenees. I’ve never met any one though, even there tends to be quite a few around our place.

The sculptor who gives life to bronzes and marbles

I liked the white bear too. Zooming in you’d be able to see the flies on its face. Nothing to do with my glass, which I keep perfectly clean at all times.

The sculptor who gives life to bronzes and marbles

More gorillas.

The sculptor who gives life to bronzes and marbles

At first I was afraid that the clouds and skies would spoil the photo, but the end result was pretty neat. All these pictures were taken last week when visiting the Jardin des Plantes where M. Bassompierre was exhibiting his statues. The whole area had been cordoned off, therefore making the shooting quite difficult. As I was researching information about the sculptor, I found out his Instagram account. He not only showed pictures of his work but encouraged others to do so. It’s worthy of note in a world where artists tend to be so wantonly protective that they end up behaving even worse than big paranoid copyrighted brands.

He not only encouraged photos of his work, but when mentioned on Instagram, he responded immediately with a kind note. Hats off M. Bassompierre, I do hope your work will make more people aware of how fragile this planet is. It may be wishful thinking but at least it’s well worth trying.

 

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Yann Gourvennec
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