Denis Augé

Stone worker

©Komuniweb

©Denis Augé

Stone charmer

Denis specialises in spheres
Sculpture is his means of serving other projects
He collects all his stones in the mountains

At the age of eight, Denis Augé was already making pyramids of stones, juxtaposing them in balance, "I thought it was very unfair that they were condemned to remain on the ground, that no one would look at them.” Like a promise to his inner child, Denis continues today to lift stones and create harmonious sculptures. It is an epic journey that has led him to where he is now. After first specialising in robotics and machine design, he left for the Caribbean where he spent nine years on a sailing boat, gaining a new perspective on the world but also another idea of beauty. Later on, Denis instinctively turned to stone, slowly starting to build his spheres. From classical stone masonry, he innovated with new techniques, like his solid cement. His sculptures soon reached a new dimension.

Interview

©Komuniweb

©Komuniweb

How would you define your approach in a few words?: To restore the meaning and place of art to a public that is in great need of it; to amaze children. To show that a new vision of stone is possible; to free it from gravity. My activity is a way of serving humanistic, ecological, philanthropic projects.
What are your main sources of inspiration?: There is an irrational part in my work, an instinctive influence that arrives like a flash. And there is another part where it is a commission, where the sculpture is guided by a word, a request from my clients. What is most important to me is the story behind the project.
How are tradition and innovation expressed in your work?: Tradition is expressed in use and research: I use ancient and modern tools. Innovation is about linking new tools to the tradition of ancestral tools to continue lifting stones, for the gods, for art, for the public. Man has always lifted stones, whatever tools he had, I carry on this tradition.
What do you enjoy most about your work?: When I'm in the heart of the mountains looking for my stones. Seeing the joy in the eyes of the public, notably the children who pounce on the spheres to give them a hug. My first critics are children, it’s for them that I work. Finally, to be able to practise my craft in complete freedom.

Denis Augé is an expert artisan he began his career in 2010