Ceramic artist, tells her story in shapes, textures, curves, asymmetries, purities. Each piece is a unique and instinctive realization guided by the material in search of a sculptural free form, an obviousness. The earth is the vector of the exploration of its inner world, and its creations the multitude of what composes it. It is a never-ending work, which aspires to find itself without defining, to accept itself without judging itself, to let go and to free itself from the uniform and rationalized dictates of beauty, the one that is conveyed as the truth of beauty everywhere.
“There is no perfect beauty, only a certain singularity of proportions” – Edgard Poe
Marion, you are the artist of Léontine Furcy, what is your background ?
I have had a long life! Before becoming a ceramist, I started in the audiovisual and film industry as a director and then as a decorator. After a few years I did staging for companies, but I needed to have “a gesture” on the things I wanted to create. I needed to touch, so I went to look for material, earth. I had already worked with metals, but I felt the need for something softer. Clay is accessible, there is a ripple when you model it, something round, a curve, it becomes hypnotic sometimes! It refocuses, it takes who I am. With her I have to let go, let myself be guided, accept to let things happen. It is a dialogue.
What do you like about Valentine Gauthier’s collections?
I discovered Valentine when she had her first boutique. I love her sensual materials and structured cuts that are also very feminine. I find myself in this complementarity. But it is especially her personality that seduces me: she is instinctive and all-round. We have a common point, the lines, that I can compare to the first gesture that drives my work.
Do you wear colors?
I like them all, it depends on my mood. At the moment I love purple. I tend to wear plain colors, but my interest is mostly in materials, I particularly like velvet. I never buy on the internet because I can neither touch nor try. I am very sensory, I am very sensitive to the noble materials that Valentine uses.
What is your relationship with fashion?
I look at what is being done but I am not obsessed and above all I adapt according to my resources. I perceive the world through my emotions so I don’t constrain myself with appearances. I don’t hide behind an outfit. A garment certainly participates in identity, but it can also be a decoy, a costume behind which one hides. In any case I dress less and less because my work in the workshop is dirty! I have workshop clothes but I like to dress up. The ideal are clothes that go from day to night with just the help of an accessory. I’m not the type if I go out at night to put on my glitter suit!
Do you also believe that nothing will ever be the same again?
I’m not sure, there will certainly be an evolution but we are resilient, we adapt very quickly to change. I imagine that there will be an evolution that our approach will be different, but basically I don’t think we will change that much. On the other hand, the current situation we are experiencing allows people to reposition themselves, to refine, to reflect, to refocus. Everyone goes back to their own rhythm.
In the famous world after, what element of the world before could you not do without?
Places of encounters: human, epicurean and cultural that allow for surprise and discovery. Places that nourish us intellectually, make us broader, bring us closer to others.
Do you systematically look at the made in of a garment or an accessory? Are you sensitive to upcycling approaches?
Today we realize that we all have things in our closet that can be used again. I have a love affair with clothes. I can buy a piece I like without having the money. When I like a piece, I wear it until it wears out, or even buy it twice! I like thrift stores that I mix with current pieces and I buy from friends who sell vintage. For objects I like those that tell a story, so I prefer to buy things that have lived rather than go to Ikea. Of course, sometimes I fall in love with a beautiful designer item!
And Valentine’s approach?
Valentine’s ecological approach touches me, in my way of consuming it is an indicator, but above all, she embodies her brand. She does not have a classic business approach, she is rich in her creation, she wants to share and we feel that she is attentive to the products she sells to customers. We feel that she does not abuse her ethical choices commercially. Moreover, if we want the world to change, there must be an awareness on the part of the consumer, but also on the part of the creators and manufacturers. We, the consumers, are ready to pay more than the fast-fashion but we know why, on the other hand the creators must remain accessible and not abuse this label!
