Eric Sansonnens

Eric Sansonnens’ work asks us to look beyond the apparent complexity of the material and go deeper, to dig down to the very essence of the material. Artists are go-betweens who portray the world not as it is, but as they see it.

In this respect, Eric Sansonnens’ first occupation, as a carpenter, has left its mark : total respect for the raw material. He never asks for a tree to be uprooted especially for him, but picks a trunk that has already been felled. Having made his choice, the sculptor scrutinises the wood, explores its structures, tests its resistance and notes any weaknesses. He is now ready to give new life to a tree that would otherwise have been burned. Entering into violent, noisy combat, Sansonnens shapes his material with a chainsaw until an abstract form emerges from the fray. Art imitates nature, but through the artist’s prism. Eric Sansonnens builds a rudimentary bridge between wood’s complex structures and the artist’s unconscious which has observed his deepest sentiments and brought forth elemental forms. He opens a door into his world, without the need for further explanation.