The brush and the anvil

"La ligne est un point qui a fait une promenade." Paul Klee

At the Foyer, art and crafts have a central place. We could even say that they are present everywhere. Each speaker is more interested in investigating a concrete subject with the students, rather than transmitting abstract knowledge. It is from this perspective that painting and blacksmithing are approached. For two weeks, the students worked with iron and color.

In painting, James initiated his method known as “8 dimensions of space”. First step, the point, the smallest trace. Then the line: it is the moving point. Then the lines on top of each other blend into the surface. The start of a path that students will follow throughout the year.

Forge: twist the iron, shape, tap… The gesture is repetitive, the wrist must remain strong. Blacksmithing requires patience: iron cannot be twisted so easily. The students tried their hand at forging all kinds of objects: a brooch (stone-cutting tool), a candlestick, a fire pick, pliers, etc.

On the one hand, sensitivity and perception in the face of a subtle and fragile material: drawing and color. On the other side, will and endurance in the face of a hard and resistant material: iron. Two opposing qualities that complement each other. At the Foyer, the aim is for students to develop their sensitivity as well as their will.