France & Hugues Siptrott
France and Hugues Siptrott are sculptors married to each other who have been living on an isolated farmstead in a valley tucked away in the Vosges mountains since 1984, where they are working together on their very own idea of sculpture. Their works are large sculptures of great intensity and with a mysterious effect at the same time. The figures often seem androgynous and are easily recognizable contemporaries, yet we see that they also draw Baroque sculpture and Italian Mannerism in their force and strong presence.
Critics have called them vulnerable descendants of the gods of antiquity; the powerful, often gigantic figures display insecurity and occasionally even fear. The Siptrotts, following the traditions of antiquity, paint their sculptures as was common practice from the ancient Etruscans into the Middle Ages. Especially in conjunction with the rawness of the workmanship ‑ every stroke in the clay mould finds its likeness in the final casting ‑ lets their protagonists appear incredibly lifelike; they gain far more expressive force than an anatomically accurate or fastidious mimic sculpture ever could.
Thus the work of France and Hugues Siptrott has no trace of retreat, but rather aims at the modern, big-city people of today. And this is also how it is perceived: along with many exhibitions at home and abroad and regular participation at major art fairs (Art Basel, FIAC in Paris, etc.), the Siptrotts' works are also present in many public spaces, for instance in the Palais des Congrès in Strasbourg ("Scylla Fountain") or in the ultramodern Paris neighbourhood of La Defense ("The Men of the Cité").
- Genres Figurative
- Styles Classic modernism