For the opening of its superb Valley of the Bears, the Boissière du Doré Zoological Park has acquired the monumental bear "Le Miel n°2".
Michel BASSOMPIERRE is one of the most important artists in the field of contemporary animal sculpture.
Born in Paris in 1948, he was captivated from childhood by drawing and modeling. He grew up between an artist mother and a scientist father. This duality will influence his future work, which combines a resolutely contemporary plastic approach with an essential anatomical rigor.
Trained in René LELEU's studio at the School of Fine Arts in Rouen, Michel BASSOMPIERRE learned to look. Thanks to the thousands of sketches he made at the zoo or in the circuses, he built his understanding of the body of the animal, this skilfully articulated machine whose line and movement he captured. In line with François POMPON , he gets rid of the anecdote to get to the point.
Favoring animals with round shapes, bears, gorillas, elephants or horses, he achieves a silhouette that is both soft and precise, where light never strikes the shadow. This visual relationship translates his link to the wild world for which he nourishes a great fascination, far from any anthropomorphism.
Then comes the modeling in clay. In order to refine the details, this piece is then cast in plaster.
After being enlarged, the work is made in resin by a specialized company, which will assemble the different parts.
Finally, a painter gives it the final touch.
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