.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Nicolas Lavarenne (lots 76-80)
Nicolas Lavarenne was born in 1953 in Chamalières, France. Both his parents were art teachers and his father was also a painter. It would be easy to assume from this that Lavarenne simply chose to follow in his parent’s footsteps, however, he did not, instead he pursued his interest in technical drawing and attended Les Eucalyptus Technical College, Nice. Subsequently spending several years working in the motorcycle industry. It was only later when he questioned the direction of his life, that he returned to art and decided to become a sculptor. Lavarenne, is largely self-taught and his early works were very much a process of trial and error. Originally he carved wooden decorations for furniture but did not find the results satisfactory. Whilst sculpting mannequins Lavarenne begin experimenting with the mediums of plaster and wax eventually progressing to bronze and developing the distinctive oeuvre we see today. Lavarenne refers to sculpture as 'a presence – a presence, if possible, with an expression'. His works clearly do have presence and evoke the movement and dexterity of an acrobat or dancer. Previous works have been referred to ‘as angels who have not fallen, but have been planted as if they are attached to earth, ready to fly away’. Lavarenne’s works can be found in public and private collections throughout Europe and the USA, and he has won several awards in recognition of his work including the 1998 Prix du Public, Antibes and most recently the 2013 Prix de la Napoule.
Nicolas Lavarenne was born in 1953 in Chamalières, France. Both his parents were art teachers and his father was also a painter. It would be easy to assume from this that Lavarenne simply chose to follow in his parent’s footsteps, however, he did not, instead he pursued his interest in technical drawing and attended Les Eucalyptus Technical College, Nice. Subsequently spending several years working in the motorcycle industry. It was only later when he questioned the direction of his life, that he returned to art and decided to become a sculptor. Lavarenne, is largely self-taught and his early works were very much a process of trial and error. Originally he carved wooden decorations for furniture but did not find the results satisfactory. Whilst sculpting mannequins Lavarenne begin experimenting with the mediums of plaster and wax eventually progressing to bronze and developing the distinctive oeuvre we see today. Lavarenne refers to sculpture as 'a presence – a presence, if possible, with an expression'. His works clearly do have presence and evoke the movement and dexterity of an acrobat or dancer. Previous works have been referred to ‘as angels who have not fallen, but have been planted as if they are attached to earth, ready to fly away’. Lavarenne’s works can be found in public and private collections throughout Europe and the USA, and he has won several awards in recognition of his work including the 1998 Prix du Public, Antibes and most recently the 2013 Prix de la Napoule.