Marie-France Veyrat
ARBRE DES CROIX SUSPENDUES
Arbre des croix suspendues, corten steel/iron, 600x170x170cm., 2022
Arbre des croix suspendues is a thematic replica of the public sculpture Les quatre creus located in Almoster since 2020.
The cross is a frequent theme in the work of Veyrat, who uses this object as the geometric element par excellence. This element is often accompanied by other signs such as keys, semicircles, dots or rectangles that are symbols to which the artist is very attached. In this case, the artist considers the cross as a symbol of suffering and horrors, but also as a sign of hope and resistance.
These two sculptures mentioned above complement each other, the cross is present in both cases but the visual impact is treated differently. In the first case, the shape of the cross is guessed and a piece of sky or cloud is outlined inside the corten steel, the object is not physically present. On the other hand, in the case of L'arbre des croix suspendues, the cross is suspended and it clearly stands out from the work.
The interaction between the positive and the negative, as well as the notion of emptiness and fullness, are themes that interest Veyrat very much. She considers that shadow and light play an important role in her work. She wants to treat the void as if it were a material.
TOUR URBAINE 2022
Recently created sculpture inspired by the installation entitled Elements de Ciutat (City Elements). The latter work was presented as part of the exhibition “Al·legories estructurades” at the Caves Jean Leon in 2018.
In most of her sculptures and installations, such as in the series Artquitectònics, Veyrat uses raw material that reveals the essence of the work. It seeks to highlight the beauty and purity of concrete or cement as they appear in their natural state, monochromatic and, in this specific case, free of any other intervention.
This minimalist architecture emerged from the Art Nouveau movement, with angular geometric shapes, made from a stripped material, with structural decorative motifs, is assimilated to the brutalist style that recalls the post-WW constructions scattered throughout the world.