Vase Signed Jacques Blin

Ceramic vase by Jacques Blin Emblematic ceramist of the 1950s. Jacques Blin was born in Pierrefonds, in Oise, in 1920. A graduate of Aeronautical and Automobile Industries, he taught industrial design in Paris, then worked as an engineer in La Rochelle. Summoned for compulsory labor in Germany in 1943, he refused to comply. He returned to Paris and joined Matra aviation. Loved by freedom and passionate about the visual arts, it was in 1949 that he decided to abandon aeronautics. He learned about art ceramics in different Parisian workshops. At his home, he began by creating jewelry and lamps, then he imagined decorative and utilitarian ceramics in small workshops in Paris and Auxon, then in Indre et Loire. Its artisanal production is limited to small series with unique pieces confined to animal grails, Noah's Arks or interstellar vehicles, which are reminiscent of the spirit of its beginnings in aeronautics. In the capital, to disseminate his production, he exhibited regularly at the Salon des Ateliers d'Art from 1953. The enameled pieces from the first period are often monochrome with a dynamic, almost 'aerodynamic' volume, inspired by life. Around 1955, his meeting with the painter Jean Rustin (1928-2013) allowed him to define the very personal and identity style of his production: the sacrificed decoration is done freehand and the use of metallic oxides before enameling brings at the bottom the cloudy or stony effect. This visual and recognizable style is what makes Jacques Blin successful. His work is rewarded in national and international exhibitions, particularly for his neo-prehistoric rock art pieces. (1958, Grand Prix Bernard Palissy - 1962 Gold Medal at the International Ceramics Exhibition - 1965 SAF Gold Medal ...) Over the years, the colors become lighter at the same time as the shapes and drawing. By remaining faithful to his technique of enamelling and engraving, the ceramist gives his work continuity in diversity, and demonstrates his independence of mind in a post-war society in the midst of social and economic change. The diversity and iconographic richness (wild and fantastic bestiary, mythological legends, scenes from daily life, etc.) bring to Jacques Blin's work a poetic fantasy, tinged with humor and humanism. A humanist work that reflects the mind and heart of its creator. For more than 40 years, Jacques Blin was a fervent campaigner to defend and promote his profession and the arts and crafts since 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 distinctions of Knight of the National Order of Merit in 1980, Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1983, Officer of the National Order of Merit in 1988 as Vice-President of the French Confederation of Crafts. During this 20-year period, he held the Vice Presidency of the International Academy of Ceramics (AIC), still headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. (references Art Angelus Jacques Blin by Christine Lavenu)