le mot chien ne mord pas, 'watching', 2008

le mot chien ne mord pas; 'Sweet cross', 2008

le mot chien ne mord pas; 'swallow', 2008

Le mot chien ne mord pas

Danaïde detail

What was your inspiration for this new series? Was it your intention to reference any of the great sculptors of the past i.e. Rodin and or Canova?

My reference is what is eternal, beginning with Greek sculpture, Praxitiles for example. I am probing the problem of desire, I am also doing work on the original 'three graces' ― situating them somewhere between Titian, Canova and Rubens. Rodin and Brancusi have always inspired me. But I am also very excited about the sultriness of Bernini and also Canova's poise. They represent a certain timeless quality that I would like to find back in my own work: call it tradition as inspiration. What begins as my imaginary universe becomes a qualified form of "baroque minimalism." In such an artistic universe various mythologies can be brought together be they mythological or contemporary. The woman has a singular role in my work and with her, love and sex.

What brought you to marble as a material? It seems such a radical change from the previous tools and materials used in your work.

After the light materials I used before, I had a need for heavier more substantial material. Molly's leg was a bronze, it was only natural for me to begin to explore the real beauty of marble.

How does your body and performance play a part in the conception and process of this series and how do you view your body in relationship to a material such as marble?

My performances grow together with the pieces: they sanctify the work and the space in which the audience relates to it, they emphasize the performance moment in space and time. The sculptures become witnesses to that supreme moment known as "performance."

Do you believe that body molding actually renders the work anti-sculptural?

No why should it? To my mind a sculpture can be made of any kind of material or technique, as long as the artist can communicate his feelings or idea it will be a very nice sculpture.

It seems that a vicariously built erotic relationship exists between yourself and the craftsman who is sculpting your body in Pietrasanta. Was this your intention as an integral part of the performance? What role does desire play in the conception of your work?

Excuse me but you seem to have built up an extremely erotic relationship with my works; this flatters and excites me but I never make anything specifically for "Him" or "Her" or about "this" or "that." It is a big honor for me to work with the legendary craftsman at Pietrasanta and investigating tradition is part of the desire behind my creations. Sexuality for me is always nothing but innocence and freedom: and thinking like that I believe I can always be erotic. My plastic, sculptural, subjective and emotive aesthetic choices are my topic and my source of inspiration and also "the interpretative childhood." Actually my work is about love and fantasies, I draw an erotic bracket. I show a will and reveal a kind of abyss of the transcendence.

The work radiates intense friction and torque. Do you think this could be a result of the tension created by the gap between the classical nature of marble and the high technology polyurethane molding (meaning the molding process to get a contemporary "morphology" imprint) utilized in the process of production of this new series?

These are certainly not high production neither "high technology" series; these are all "one of" studies, single pieces, sketches for a much larger marble sculpture and these are only research objects for this large sculpture. I am only dealing with the contemporary morphology in stark contrast to the old marble material age.

Will you give a title to these works?

Yes, and you will be charmed…! A conversation between Madeleine Berkhemer and Morgan Morri