Volume 3, No. 6. March 28, 2003
Crafting
a scene
They are part of
the environment. In turn, they create the environment.
One section of Parc Astérix near Paris, France, replicates a medieval
French street scene, with timber houses looming over the street, musketeers
dueling in the square, and traditional artisans crafting their wares. The craftsmen—a
stone carver, a wood carver, a potter, a blacksmith and a glazier—are integral
to the street scene, dressed in medieval garb and working in shops open to the
park’s patrons. Guests can watch the artisans at work, ask questions and,
in some cases, buy their goods.
However, these craftsmen are not merely for show. They also provide some of
the park’s authentic theming. The stained glass throughout the park was
the work of the glazier. The blacksmith provided much of the park’s wrought
iron decorations. The stone carver produced Caïus’ head at the front
of the Caïus Pizzarium restaurant, and the stone carver and blacksmith
together built the fountain of the Musketeers.
Some of the work is, frankly, not so authentic. The potter, for example, created
many of the pitchers and bowls used in the restaurants, but they look more comical
than traditional; after all, they are inspired by a series of comic books. “Most
of the time they demand modern-looking things with writings or strange pots
with very bright colors,” said Gilles Cesaire, the Parc Asterix potter
who, in his own Paris studio, specializes in urban pottery. “I wouldn’t
choose that look and color for my own stuff.”
The 40-year-old Cesaire has been a potter since he was 15, turning professional
at age 25. He joined the Parc Asterix scene-making scenery 10 years ago, recruited
by a park director who had visited one of Cesaire’s exhibitions. “I
was very, very frightened at the beginning,” Cesaire said. “You have
to make (the wares) while people are looking at you. It’s like being on
the stage; you feel naked with all the people looking at you.”
Now, he said, he’s “Very cool with this job.” He enjoys demonstrating
his skills and talking with people. “You can see the interest in people.
You can see the children’s eyes when you throw a ball of clay down that
transforms into a vase. It’s magic for them.” This is primarily true
of French children who do not get art lessons in their schools. The school curricula
for British and German children, on the other hand, does include art. “They
are not amazed,” Cesaire said. “They come and most of the time look
at the final product and say, ‘Ah, it’s good or not.’”
Though Cesaire works full days at the park, always “on stage,” the
six-month season allows him half a year to focus on his own studio and exhibitions,
and the two jobs gives him variety in styles and objects. As for his contribution
to Parc Asterix’s scenery, his favorite is a mosaic reproduction of a Greek
mosaic featuring dolphins located on a wall near the park’s Dolphinarium.
Unlike the commissioned cartoonish work, the dolphin mosaic was wholly his creation.
“They had not given any order,” Cesaire said. “I proposed it
for myself, and maybe that’s why it’s my favorite.”
THE LOOP is written and produced by Eric Minton, Minton Enterprises, LLC. To see more examples of Eric Minton's work and Minton Enterprises services, visit www.ericminton.com.
©2003, Minton Enterprises
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