Poetry in Motion – The ‘Sculptures Lumineuses’ of Bastien Carré |

Celeste by Bastien Carré

‘Celeste’, 2013

~~~~

We’re very excited this week to show you the enchanting ‘sculptures lumineuses’ of artist, Bastien Carré from Aveyron in South West France. We have seen one installed in an appartment in Paris and it looked both delicate and imposing, with the beautiful twinkles of light on their graceful structure swaying very gently in the subtle air currents.

While studying design in Paris, Carré experimented with lighting and the intense emotions it can provoke. The vast and unexplored creative potential of LEDS fascinated him and this became his medium of choice in 2007, stimulating his imagination and combining his scientific leanings with his artistic sensibilities. LEDs use less power than standard bulbs and last longer so are highly energy efficient. He transformed an electrical circuit into a subtle and creative work of art by hand-welding each LED onto a framework of electrical wires, straddling the borders between illuminated sculpture, lighting and art. His use of very thin steel wire which is most of the time less than 0.5mm in diameter means that they are extremely light. These spectacular pieces he calls ‘lumigraphies’. Explains Carré, ‘they are ‘luminous sculptures as they are not simply functional objects but artistic pieces’.

~~~~

‘Fée Pompette’, 2011

Each piece is signed and numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Carré’s earlier pieces were limited editions of 8 but he is now working more on specific commissions from clients ‘sur mesure’ and moving towards producing unique pieces.

‘Le Messager’, 2012

~~~~

His work is attracting serious attention. On meeting him in 2012, the Italian designer Ingo Maurer noted his talent and potential: “In Bastien Carré’s work his poetic tenderness and technical skill impress me. I know that he still has a lot of experience ahead of him but I am convinced that one day he will play in the Super League”

Ingo Maurer, May 2013.

~~~~~~~~

Two of Carré’s latest luminous sculptures (above) – Collection Vendome

Check out our Q & A below with Bastien Carré and enjoy the video of his exquisite work.

WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY WITH LUMIGRAPHY?

‘I can’t really speak about a philosophy. When I was a student of industrial design in Paris, we were taught that we had to follow a process and explain our projects to show why they were good. I never adhered to this idea because for me, a successful creation is one which surpasses explanation: the public need to be able to understand the piece and to appreciate it without listening to a discourse on it. My philosophy, if I have one is to create pieces which can be loved and appreciated just as they are by the largest number of people possible’.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PIECE TO SHOW CLIENTS WHICH BEST REPRESENTS YOU?

‘There are some Lumigraphie pieces which spring to mind more easily than others, like ‘La Fée Pompette’ or ‘Electrostatique’ which touch the soul, but I don’t really have a single piece which absolutely represents me: its really a combination of things – of all sorts aesthetics, of volumes, of colors, from painting to sculpture passing by mobile creations. Each piece is born from a combination of these elements, and the wish to go further, to explore to the maximum the possibilities offered by LEDs. For me, logically, I have a tendency to feel that the pieces that best represent me and what I like to show are my most recent ones – at the moment the Collection Vendome – because they are technically and aesthetically the finest that I have ever created. Every time I look back at a piece I say to myself that it is good but that I could do better. What makes me advance incessantly is to be never totally satisfied’.