Martine MENARD

Martine MÉNARD

I started my designer career with Givenchy, Dior, Balenciaga.  In the late 60s' I created my own label “M.G. Store” which was distributed in a trendy Saint Germain des Prés store.  I then chose to become a freelance designer for French, Canadian, Italian and Hong Kong industrials.   All along, I was passionate for color and textures which I never ceased to research.

 It is therefore very naturally that my years of research and passion found a new form of expression when I started my new life of ceramist in 1997 with Georges and Rocio Vinaver in Gustavo Perez Mexican workshop.

I very quickly found my trademarks by making pieces as thin as eggshells under the direction of Yoland Cazenove and perfected Raku's technic in an workshop with Dauphine Scalbert.

The acquisition of a ceramic kiln enabled me to give way to my flourishing creative inspiration.  This rapid rise in production has been heightened by the very positive reception of my work.  Although being a “young ceramist”, my inspiration has been nourished by decades of research around colors, materials, shapes.

Since then my creations have been exposed numerous times, been published in magazines, sold in decoration stores, galleries and international exhibitions.
 
Creative Intention

Ceramic is the natural outlet for my years of research and the thread of my life of work. Colors, textures, light.  I've always been fascinated with colors and textures.  This passion I developed during my designer's career has been nurtured with numerous travels in Asia, South America, Eastern Europe, Africa.  Travels during which I candidly explored the world around me but also the continuous presence of masters such as Sonia DELAUNAY, HARTUNG, SOULAGES, HANTAÏ. The legacy of these explorations has been colors, nuances, mass, granularity of their work mixed with other emotions nature and the discovery of culture offered which I grapplet avidly.

I forget everything to reformulate these inspirations in the way I mix glazes. Creating reliefs with vegetal and mineral prints or by hand participate to the elaboration of materials and surfaces.  It keeps glazes and gives it depth and poetry, like the scintillating breaking of  anthracite block declining different shades of black.  Black glaze, grey-brown, “ plissé Fortuny”…. Powdered, red, shades of grey, metallic aspect, colors and depths of sea, lagoons inspired by aquatic ondulating plants.

All this work is made at the breaking point.  Confronting evolution of material from clay's rigidity till earth's suppleness.  I also love to watch the infinity of white clouds taking and losing shape with the wind passing through the blue sky.  It is maybe during this daydreaming hours that I find the strength and freedom of my creativity in ceramics.


MATERIALS USED

Porcelain from China, Australia, Austria, Limoges (France).

White  smooth sandstone and smoothed.
Smooth earthenware and earthenware smoothed.
Glazes are mixed following traditional recipes that I reinterpret for their application.

DESCRIPTION OF THE TECHNIQUES USED

Porcelain, sandstone and earthenware are fired in an electric kiln in my Parisian workshop situated in Le Marais.  The first fire of earthenware, the "biscuit" at 1080 ° whereas the glazes fired at 980°.
Between the two fire, sandpapering, in order to obtain a smoother touch.
For the realization of my pieces, I proceed by modelling, stamping and I then I engrave prints on surfaces.
My inspiration is mainly organic.
I tend to use more and more porcelain, biscuit sculptures and "installations" for "Land art" exhibitions.


Expositions 2003/2004

Office du Tourisme de MATIGNON - Exposition personnelle - Côtes d’Armor
“TERRES DE FEMMES” Exposition collective Vallauris
Centre culturel FRANCO JAPONAIS - Exposition personnelle - Paris
Galerie MEDIART - Exposition personnelle Paris
OH! LA JOLIE BOUTIQUE - Maison des Métallos - Exposition collective - Paris                                
ATELIER porte ouverte avec la Société d’Encouragement aux Métiers d’Art - Paris
CHÂTEAU BELMESNIL - Exposition collective.  Saint-Denis-leTiboult  - Normandie         
Galerie AUX TRESORS PERDUS - ”Une table de fête” Vernaison. Saint Ouen
1er Prix “ Classicisme” décerné par Madame Figaro.Exposition personnelle.

Expositions 2005

Galerie MEDIART - Exposition personnelle - Janvier - Paris
Galerie MAISON DES ARTS - Exposition collect.- Mars - La Marche sur Saône
Galerie OESTRAKA - Exposition collective. -Avril - Bernay
ART PRAGUE - Exposition Internationale - Mai - Tchécoslovaquie
Galerie ART 4 - Exposition personnelle - Juin - Caen
JOURNEES DE LA CERAMIQUE - Place St Sulpice. Juillet - Paris        
Office de Tourisme de MATIGNON Expo perso - Août - Côtes d’Armor                                                                              
OH! LA JOLIE BOUTIQUE - Exposition collective. Septembre - Paris
“Une table de fête” Galerie AUX TRÉSORS PERDUS Décembre Vernaison. St Ouen - 1er Prix et Prix Démesure décerné par Madame Figaro.

Expositions 2006

Galerie OESTRAKA - Exposition collective. Avril/Mai  - Bernay
Galerie ANAGAMA - Exposition collective - Mai/Juin - St Germain en Laye
7° SALON DE L’ART EN MOUVEMENT - Expo collect. - Mai  - Courcouronnes               
L’ARCHIPEL SUR LE LAC - Exposition collect. - Juin/Juillet - St Martin du Lac
Journées des Métiers d’Art avec la  S.E.M.A - Octobre - Paris
HÔTEL DE SAUROY - Exposition personnelle - Octobre - Paris
ANAGAMA - Exposition collective Décembre

Exposition 2007

12 Mars  :  DROUOT   PARIS 75009 Verre et céramique contemporain
24 et 25 Mars : Le meuble et l’objet contemporain. Marché de l’Odéon. PARIS 75006
12 et 13 Mai  : 1° Marché des Potiers   PLAPPEVILLE 57
2 et 3 Juin  :  Les jardins Gilles de Trèves   Ville-sur-Saulx 55000
2 Juin au 31 Août : KERAMIKMUSEUM  Westerwald Allemagne Pretty-Precious-Unusual : bijoux       5 au 8 Juillet Journées de la Céramique Place Saint Sulpice 75006 Paris
1° au 19 Août : Galerie LES PIERRES SONNANTES. La maison du Port du Guildo 22380 St Cast Le Guildo
14,15 et 16 Septembre : Les « Ephémères »  Château Landon 77570 LAND ART
6 Octobre au 27 Octobre : GALERIE MEDIART. Paris 75003
18 au 21 Octobre : Galerie ANAGAMA. St Germain en Laye 78100 Terres généreuse
6 au 16 Décembre : L’ATRIUM  Chaville 92370

GALERIES PERMANENTES :

ANAGAMA  :  29 rue du Vieil Abreuvoir - 78100 St Germain en Laye
ASIAN ART DE VIVRE : 36 rue des Tournelles - 75004 Paris
GALERIE OESTRAKA  : 11 rue Gaston Folloppe, Dite rue des Antiquaires - 27300 Bernay
JENNY DU MARAIS :11 rue de la Corderie/ 8 rue Dupetit-Thouars. 75003 Paris
LA FORGE SUBTILE : 3 rue Henry de Jouvenel - 75006 Paris
LA PALETTE : 13 bis rue Paul Lendrin - 83000 Toulon
RUTH'S PLACE : ART POTTERIE-Serpentstrass 9, 9000 Gent Belgique
ATELIER DES TABLEAUX ET DES VITRAUX : 36 rue des Blancs Manteaux - 75004 Paris 01 42 76 00 25 ou 06 72 27 58 90 sur R.V.
T. MALE : 32 rue des Blancs Manteaux - 75004 Paris