Naturally, Man-Made, in Full View:
The Art of le Corbeau
September 15, 2012 – November 4, 2012
Gallery Walk with Francois Guillemin
October 14 ~ 2 pm
Opening night only there will be a one-time exhibit of le Corbeau’s exquisite jewelry and hollow ware available for public viewing.
Naturally, Man-Made and in Full View: The Art of le Corbeau is a retrospective featuring 53 sculptural items from a lifetime of art making by the artist known as le Corbeau. Many of the pieces in the exhibit at Ellarslie have never been shown before.
The exhibit encompasses sculpture, furniture and lighting, decorative objects, and jewelry in keeping with the tradition of artists exploring multiple materials and disciplines. Described as a “surrealist” artist, most of le Corbeau’s works reflect his interest in assembling existing components to create visual allegories using his favorite method and material: the exploration of artistic ideas in metal.
Le Corbeau’s ‘eye’ has that whimsical, Alice-in-Wonderland quality that comes through in his art no matter what the viewer is looking at—an armoire or table that feels slightly askew, floor lamps that seem as if they are ready to be animated like cartoon characters, mysterious sculpture—an umbrella in a cage or the cabbage head that grows into the torso of a woman. A master of his mediums, his work is thought-provoking.
A west coast native, Corbeau (his real name is Francois Guillemin) started making jewelry while studying forestry in college and then moved on to sculpture and, later, furniture and decorative objects. He adopted the name “le Corbeau” (the crow) while spending time with Native Americans in Santa Fe who each adopted a persona, and the name just stuck. Moving to the east coast to work at the Johnson Atelier, he established his own studio in 1985 and in 2007 he created a larger studio and metal production facility in Hopewell NJ where he continues to work today, now employing several assistants to work with him.
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