Inspired by his childhood, Paris born artist Jean-François Fourtou takes us back to our childhood minds; to the memories we have shelved away. Fourtou had been creating animal sculptures for over 15 years before he started experimenting with the feeling of home and the idea of protection with his spatial installations in his family owned 10 hector land just outside Marrakesh, Morocco.
His work that constantly plays with scale and proportion acts as a reminder of our childhood sensations. His spatial experimentations recreate a child’s perception of the external world
His "Maison du Géant" (Giant’s house) is a narrative experimentation where he tried to create the spirit of the room he occupied at his grandmother’s house in a village in Saint Émillion near Bordeaux. Doubling the scale of the actual space, Fourtou positions himself as a 5-6 year old child he once was. He has also created the same house in ¾ scale for his daughter and a miniature dollhouse version in 1/5 scale. His “Tombée du Ciel” (Fallen from the Sky) where everything is upside down is a model of his grandfather’s home as if it has fallen from heaven.
Fourtou’s work has reminded me of “Le Petit Prince” (The Little Prince) novella written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. What differentiates adults from children is the presence of childhood passion and perspective, which in reality is not limited by age. The “wonder lens” Fourtou hands us takes us back in time above time, giving a second chance to bring those memorable forgotten sensations felt once upon a time.
Images via www.slash.fr, fourtou.aeroplastics.ne
