Jacques Blin (1920-1995) was born in Pierrefonds, Oise.
A lover of freedom and the plastic arts, it was in 1949 that he decided to give up aeronautics. He took up ceramics in various Parisian workshops. At home, he began by creating jewelry and lamps, then went on to design decorative and utilitarian ceramics in small workshops in Paris and Auxon, then in Indre et Loire.
His artisanal production is limited to small series and one-off pieces, confined to animal grails, Noah’s arks and interstellar vehicles, reminiscent of his early days in aeronautics.
To promote his work in the capital, he regularly exhibited at the Salon des Ateliers d’Art from 1953 onwards.
The enamelled pieces of the first period are often monochrome, with a dynamic, almost ‘aerodynamic’ volume, inspired by the living.
Around 1955, his meeting with the painter Jean Rustin (1928-2013) enabled him to define the highly personal and distinctive style of his production: the sacrificial decoration is done freehand, and the use of metallic oxides before enameling adds a cloudy or stony effect to the background. This visual style, recognizable by all, is the key to Jacques Blin’s success.
For over 40 years, Jacques Blin was a fervent campaigner for the defense and promotion of his profession and the art professions, starting in 1953.
From 1971 to 1991, he was President of the Chambre Syndicale des Céramistes et des Ateliers d’Art de France and organizer of the Salon des Ateliers d’Art, which today are the Fondation des Ateliers d’Art de France and the Salon Maison&Objet.
In this capacity, he was honored with the Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite in 1980, Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur in 1983, Officier de l’Ordre National du Mérite in 1988 as Vice-President of the French Confederation of Art Professions. During this 20-year period, he was Vice President of the International Academy of Ceramics (AIC), still based in Geneva, Switzerland.
For further information:
Christine Lavenu, Jacques Blin céramiste et porteur d’histoires, Editions Louvre Victoire, 2019.