Marc Nucera

Biography

The artist Marc Nucera is a landscape sculptor, born in 1963. He lives and works in Provence in his garden – atelier, and sometimes in wonderful spaces to give a second life to century-old trees, the patriarchs, thanks to his chainsaw.

Tree-loving sculptor, chainsaw virtuoso

Marc Nucera is a gentle and sensitive being who wields the power of the chainsaw with rare dexterity.. Former landscaper, he knows all the essences and their specificities. With the greatest respect for plants, through long-worked gestures, he creates sculptures with majestic wrinkles, with magnificent drapes, with fluid pleats... which dress the trunks of a skin sometimes close to lace. These gestures, repeated many times, are carried out on the material while respecting the knot of the tree., a branch, areas of weakness… transforming the sculptor into a kind of dancer.

The controlled force of the confident and powerful gestures reveals the flexibility of the sculpture that Marc had imagined. He likes to use the term ” by way of taking off” to describe his work : the artist removes from the tree trunk everything that prevents us from seeing the shape of the sculpture, a bit like a psychoanalysis process that reveals who we really are. Marc reveals to wood what artistic potential it possesses.. What perseverance, sometimes to the point of physical and psychological exhaustion that this hand-to-hand work with the tree trunk ! The work revealed to the light is the crowning achievement of these efforts.

Giving new life to trees

Installed in his workshop in Provence, Marc Nucera cultivates his garden which he adapts to new climatic conditions. In conscience, it invests in species that respond better to new data and it is good to walk in this open garden. We discover his creations scattered in nature and his new plantations, some grouped together sheltered from bad weather.

With each visit we discover a little better the power of these usual forms which rub shoulders with more abstract ones. A seat like a tendril, columns with chiseled curves, vertical and horizontal twists like consoles, colossi, statues like gigantic titans that tower over 2 m high, couples exchanging kisses, or this series of prayers which magnify the drapes, wrinkled and other pleated.

Iconic piece, the “drunken fish” is an imposing irradiating ball, with deep and harmonious scarifications. All these works are nevertheless fragile...

Perpetuate the works of Marc Nucera

Yes, wood is fragile, he suffers ! 

This suffering reminds the artist of the greatest humility that his growing notoriety sometimes comes up against.: carved wood, elegant statues are damaged by rain and bad weather.

Yes we must protect them, treat them regularly, otherwise the wood will become humus again, humble return to nature… It is time to perpetuate his work and present the works inside, sheltered from hazards... It is time to take care of transmitting this force coming from the plant forever. It is time to create bronzes from these works and it is time for Marc to accompany this

the new “Drunk Fish ” was born, cast in bronze. It allows us to perpetuate the work of this great sculptor, contributing to his artistic recognition..

Marc Nucera followed the entire process from the selection of the original work to the patina of this bronze cast in the Barthélémy foundry in Crest in the Drôme.

This bronze which will be able to brave the weather even while remaining outdoors will be produced at 8 numbered copies more 2 artist's copies.