Drawing

Drawing is a form of expression in its own right, with full autonomy, an art of synthesis that is sufficient in itself. Immediate, spontaneous, light, mobile… thanks to the simplicity of the means it uses, drawing invites us to retain only the essential.  But drawing is, before all else, an attitude. It requires a particular form of attention, a sustained look at oneself and at things, as well as a demanding gesture.

Drawing is an act

The act of drawing allows us to rediscover something of an original gesture.  It allows us to reconnect with the intensity of a unique experience: that of enjoying a gesture for itself.  True joy, just from the simple act of drawing. 

There is also an immediacy in the act of drawing: to the flow of thought, the imaginary, there is a corresponding drawing being made.  It’s an act that is constantly being created.

Nevertheless, drawing carries an intention, it is a project, a goal, a target...an opening.  The order of questioning is therefore essential: which gesture, which act of drawing can best establish or accompany a thought and a project?

 Drawing is material

 Through its tools and the supporting material which is used, drawing places us immediately in a physical, corporal relationship with the world around us.  By integrating the body as a place of sensitive perception, drawing is rooted in the living experience that everyone is capable of feeling. In this sense, it is a constant reconfirmation of the sensitivity in oneself and the relationship that everyone has with the materiality of things and beings.

Drawing requires us to question ourselves, to constantly reassess our relationship with the world, with ourselves, with others... as soon as drawing begins, there is a meeting, a dialogue has started.

 Drawing is an experiment

 The expression of a desire is the origin of a drawing, the know-how comes later.

To be able to draw, it is more important to be led by intuition, a desire, maybe even a lack of something, than by any type of technique.

In all honesty, the technique is just the result of the drawing work.  It is the fruit of a discovery through experimentation where everyone has to invent and learn the tools and methods that bring them closer to their intuition, their desire.  Drawing is therefore trying, fumbling, playing; it’s exploring and letting oneself be led wherever the desire-drawing takes us. 

 Drawing leaves a trace

 From the moment you start to draw the slightest line, the questions start.  In a sense it is the line itself that leads us, that constantly requires us to make new decisions.  Drawing means taking a position; it means giving the line all the qualities and all the dimensions that it summons by its very presence.  It means placing oneself in the space of the drawing and passing through it.

Every drawing is a sign, it marks the passage of a fleeting moment.  Something of a gesture or an act that happened and is no more, and of which the drawing is the only trace, the living memory.

This trace marks the energy that has been developed and that is transmitted to and received from a drawing.   It’s the energy of the drawing that transports us, always further.

 Education

The workshop is a place for artistic practice, creation, and experimentation, it’s also a place for discussions, exchanges and critiques.

The teaching in the workshop aims to favour the artistic commitment of each student, while helping them to gradually construct their personal artistic language.  It paves the way for learning to look, to see, to touch, to discover, to invent, to create and to create oneself.

The first three years of the Bachelor’s degree are focused on training and deepening the knowledge of plastic language.  During these three years, the teachers propose various themes and exercises that expose the students to an array of drawing techniques.

In Master I, the students propose their subject of work and gain in autonomy, they refine their own writing.

In Master II, the student is invited to go further in their reflection about their own practices, particularly through writing a thesis.

 The emphasis is on the personal artistic accomplishment of the students which is the source of their creativity.  The teachers are there to assist and guide each one on their own journey.