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Anne-Marie van Sprang  

The works of Anne-Marie Van Sprang are characterised by an astonishing use of silence and fragility as a method of expression. They are the representation of a time seemingly suspended, of those often ephemeral moments with which our existence is sprinkled and that we often strive to perceive, moments that represent a transient happiness. The methods she uses are those of a sculptor. She certainly possesses the required strength and force. On a solid, powerful structure of wood, whose mounting was consciously organised and complex (an entablature which recalls a scene and which she covers with a fine layer of plaster resembling a snowy covering), she has placed figurines in modelled porcelain bisque. She selected porcelain for its transparency, finesse and capacity to play with light. Above, the elements, also in porcelain, are attached to threads and contrive to establish a link between the solidity of the installation and the transparency of air. They seem unfettered by gravitational force and induce an upward movement, which accentuates the effect experienced. The overall impression is one of ethereal melancholia. At the same time, they contribute to the equilibrium of the work. In these figurative representations, she summons up a universe that is modest and familiar: family scenes where the emotional relationship is conveyed by happy, insouciant gestures, simple and outmoded vehicles like an old delivery van, objects with pure lines exploited for their apparent incongruity, as well as their potential for evoking fleeting moments. Each constituent element is like a delicate sign. It's a reading of everything and the art of Anne-Marie Van Sprang brings meaning to these transient yet timeless representations, to these mental constructions related to poetry, which touch us with their truth.

 
Yves Peltier

Anne-Marie at work

 
Biennale Internationale - Création Contemporaine et Céramique, Vallauris 2010, Somogy éditions D'ART, Paris 2010, ISBN 978-2-7572-0382-8
© 2010 Ville de Vallauris / Somogy éditions d'art