London – Gerry Farrell and Edward Horswell of Sladmore Gallery London (www.sladmore.com) love the quirky appeal of the contemporary sculptures created by EDOUARD MARTINET (Le Mans, France b. 1963) from “found” objects he collects from second-hand markets, garage sales and car-boot events. Sladmore Contemporary will be showing a new selection of Edouard Martinet’s sculptures at Masterpiece London June 28 to July 4.
2012 MASTERPIECE LONDON Bumble Bee by Edouard Martinet at SLADMORE gallery
Martinet expresses his talent by evoking his fascination with “creepy crawlies” such as spiders, insects and wasps, his principal source of inspiration, as well as animals with “comical potential” such as ostriches, fish and toads, all of which now populate his cleverly put together sculpture collection.
Farrell says, “Edouard Martinet has an imagination I envy. He’s found a way to couple his love of nature with a lifelong obsession to accumulate and make new use of an unlikely assortment of “found” objects ranging from wood, cardboard and plastic in his youth to the more sophisticated, often iconic, car and motorcycle parts he often now employs in his innovative sculptures. They bring a smile to your face and capture the hearts of collectors, who say they ‘chuckle’ each time they view their acquisitions.”
Among highlights of EDOUARD MARTINET’s works at the Sladmore Contemporary gallery stand at MASTERPIECE LONDON this June will be a ROBIN whose wings are made from petrol tank plates of a 40s-50s Monet-Goyon motorcycle, and a Citroen hood ornament; a BUMBLE BEE whose legs come from wind screen wipers and car boot hinges; a PIGEON whose head and neck are constructed from an old radio loudspeaker, with wings made from American bike chain guards; and a DRAGON FLY with umbrella ribs as wings, and eyes composed from old bits of headlights dating to the early 20th century.
Edouard Martinet was born in Le Mans, France in 1963 and studied art at ESAG, Paris. After graduating in 1988 he lived and worked in Paris as a graphic designer, and also started sculpting and staging exhibitions. From 1992 to 1995 he lived in Charente before moving to his current location in Rennes where he teaches art at L’Institut des Arts Appliques.
He says, “When I was young, I used to hoard all sorts of materials such as wood, cardboard and plastic so that I could create objects – mainly boats. Twenty years later, I began sculpting from found materials. In the meantime I studied art, specifically graphic design. Gradually, sculpting became the obvious direction for me and in 1990 I started making insects as I had developed an interest in them at age nine thanks to one of my primary school teachers who was also an entomologist. I suppose it was natural that one day all these things would combine. Once I left graphic design I focused on making creatures from scrap material.”
“I especially enjoy children’s reactions to my work. When my seven-year-old daughter’s friends visit or when school children see my work I witness a variety of responses: some are astounded, others want to touch or move the sculptures and others ask questions; these are touching scenes. I also love seeing objects which have their own past and their own practical uses take on a second life in my creations.”
“I do not have a set way of working. Either I first imagine and design the sculpture without having all the parts or I use parts I already have and see what I can create. It takes about a month to make a sculpture and I can sometimes work on two or three sculptures at the same time. It took me just a month to make my first sculpture and 17 years for my last one! Sometimes, I have all the pieces I need bar one, and then I find the missing piece by chance when I’m not looking.”
Martinet says, “The parts are screwed together; there is no welding at all and I try to keep the pieces as they are found in their used state. When I go to flea markets and sales I often hide the true purpose of the bits and pieces I buy because the sellers wouldn’t sell them to me; for them the car parts they sell (when car parts are concerned for example) have to be used only to restore cars. They think I am crazy to use these parts for sculptures. But friends and family now think of me when they get rid of old things, which provides a constant source of inspiration to guide my imagination.”
SLADMORE GALLERY at MASTERPIECE LONDON
June 28 – July 4
South Grounds of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea
Courtesy shuttle service from Battersea Park, Sloane Square, Victoria, Bond Street/West End
Preview June 27 from 11am – 2 pm
Open to the Public
From June 30 between 11am – 6pm
Masterpiece Midsummer Party in aid of CLIC Sargent 7pm – 10pm
July 1- 5 from 11am – 9pm
SLADMORE CONTEMPORARY
32 Bruton Place
London WIJ 6NW
0207 6291 144
SLADMORE GALLERY
57 Jermyn Street
London SWIY 6LX
0207 4990 365
