Posted on the 1st march 2021
By Yohann Goyat
By Yohann Goyat
His name may be unknown to you, but his singular lines are surely familiar to you. For five years in Paris, they have littered the walls of the various metro stations and appear a little more in the streets every day. This line trio which no longer goes unnoticed has recently had a name: Jordane Saget. 2000 frescoes later, the artist with a rather discreet character finally shows the tip of his nose and already collaborates with big names. Jordane comes back with us to the origin of these lines, their impact in public space and the path they have traveled so far.
Jordane is an artist in the broad sense of the term. Attracted above all by geometry and mathematics, the artist has long thought about what could be his artistic signature. “I searched for a long time for the magic formula in order to draw something beautiful and to be able to reproduce it easily. Life took its course and one day the practice of Tai Chi Chuan was a revelation for me, ”he recalls. This practice of Chinese martial art combines flexible movements, lightness and serenity. The very definition of the three lines that Jordane now draws all over Paris. 3 lines for balance Not one, not two, but three lines which intersect and form his ornamental frescoes for five years. “I started by drawing a line, but the number one stands for unity. It's too big and impossible to represent in my eyes. The number two does not speak to me: it is wobbly, frozen and lacks movement, ”he says. Until the day when he decides to add a third and finally put his finger on the golden rule so much sought after: "The number three has been revealed to me. It is the first child who unites a couple, it is the imbalance which leads to create the balance adding at the same time the movement ”he explains. Head in his notebooks drawing lines and scribbling pages in endless black pencil, Jordane has this need to get some fresh air. The idea then came to him to change the medium and invest in large-scale public spaces. But how do you make street art without being considered a “vandal”? He who pays attention to the eyes of people, did not want to shock or awaken a feeling of insecurity among pedestrians. He then finds chalk as a new medium and "when people call out to me and ask me what I'm doing, I tell them I'm drawing" he says with a laugh. Comforting and soothing lines
A daily pedestrian, Jordane never goes out without his bag and chalk. Over the years, public spaces have become his favorite playground. He took over the sidewalks, subways, billboards, steps, in short the lines are now direct witnesses of his passage. Some on walls, others on the ground more ephemeral, they do not leave you indifferent. “I have a lot of feedback on the effect these lines have on people on a daily basis, and I'm delighted. I am happy to see that they bring joy, appeasement and good humor. I drew on about thirty billboards in a whole metro corridor in Paris, and a lady once told me that she felt like she was traveling and walking by the water's edge thanks to the ripples of the lines, ”he exclaims with emotion. “Before, it was the story of a man who discovered a magic formula and who worked on it obsessively. Today this man has come to light and the meaning of his lines has an impact. I became the guarantor of its lines, I have a responsibility! »Explains Jordane. Behind each drawn line there is an artistic work and a reflection. The environment changes and catches the eye of passers-by: "That's what interests me! See the reaction of people "he said with a big smile, before adding:" chalk brings you back to childhood and strikes a chord with everyone. " The blanc de meudon for eternity "The artistic process was born in the street partly thanks to chalk" he says. This one became more and more interesting when he saw how old his rural frescoes were. “They age as our faces take on wrinkles over time. I recently saw one, six years old, and it's moving to see it still intact, ”he says. Jordane has always respected street artists and has never drawn on other works. He then acquired over time the recognition and respect of Parisian street artists, however he noticed one day that one of his frescoes was "toyed*". “I was really disappointed, but come to think of it it was a great idea because the artist used the chalk already there and spread it out to sign his name. " Following this observation and after some research, Jordane discovers the blanc de meudon* which will become his new and current medium. “The work is faster, I roll out the mixture and with my finger I remove material,” he explains. “This medium leads to more fragile work, and is often compared to crystal. The oldest fresco is 6 years old and displayed on a mirror in my house. But if I touch it it's just as fragile as the first day I drew it, ”he says. Committed lines
The beauty and fragility of its ornamental frescoes, comparable to moucharabieh*, are incredibly fine, allowing light to pass through like a stained-glass window. Jordane was then entrusted with major projects to beautify restaurants but also hotels and other windows. Commissions flow in and sees himself working with various artists and organizations as Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Agnès b., Les Enfoirés, Political Sciences… Each of his collaborations have a meaning and an ethic for him. Jordane Saget is also very involved in the pedestrian cause in Paris, his series “Jaune Signalétique” is the proof: “Paris is above all a pedestrian city, you have to discover it on foot. And my commitment through my art is to signal these dangerous areas to pedestrians, or encroaching on pedestrian areas (strollers, wheelchairs, restaurant terraces, etc.) ”, he concludes. If the anonymity of his lines has been kept for many years, the influence and impact they have had caught up with him recently. Jordane is keen to bring forward the ornamentation so characteristic of Paris and each of its lines drawn back a little more to the cultural history and Art Nouveau, so characteristic of the city. His latest crazy project would be to leave his mark on the clock at the Musée d'Orsay, a way according to him "to bring these museums to life for too long at a standstill. " Website : www.jordanesaget.com Instagram : @jordanesaget GLOSSARY : * toyer in street-art, is the act of being covered by another artist * blanc de meudon is a chalk-based white, taken from the quarries of Meudon, near Paris, in France. * moucharabieh is a forced natural ventilation device frequently used in the traditional architecture of Arab countries. |