Marc Nucera

Wood sculptor

©Michel Jouve

©Marc Nucera

©Bruno Suet

©Joanna Maclennan

The tree poet

Marc carves trees with a chainsaw
The drape is a main theme in his work
A book is being published about his creations

Marc Nucera has been sculpting trees for 30 years. With his fluid gestures, he magnifies the beauty of wood. Marc draws on his experience as a landscape gardener, approaching plants as natural art, "it was the landscape and the tree that dictated the work," he explains. Encouraged to develop his own writing, he has pursued his exploration of texture and inscription of matter. Marc’s poetic sculptures offer a contemporary interpretation of the drape, one of the main interests of his ongoing research. With their sophisticated forms, they appear thoroughly impregnated by the dynamics of movement. Driven by a constant flow of inspiration, "every day is a blank page" for Marc, his work is a permanent evolution.

Interview

©Michel Jouve

©Bruno Suet

Why did you choose this craft?: It came naturally. My father was a cabinetmaker, I was born in the saw dust. I grew up being aware of the value and the nobility of wood; the closest material to the living being. We see the trees growing, they are part of our temporality.
Do you master any specific techniques?: My main tool is the chainsaw, my gesture is an act of no return: "per via di levare", building by subtraction. I scrupulously respect the identity of the wood, the memory of the tree, which forms the sculpture. Each sculpture is unique, it carries within it the identity of the tree.
What is little known about your work?: I build alone from A to Z, without any help. The identity of the material guides the sculpture. Everyone has a different emotion towards the material, so I work alone. My body is completely involved, the process becomes a dance movement that gives the sculpture energy.
What is a “well made” sculpture for you?: It is being able to bring plausibility to the sculpture. It must seem alive; I am interested in the spirituality of the artwork. At some point the sculpture is captured, it represents a feeling. Poetry can best explain the feeling of a work.

Marc Nucera is an expert artisan he began his career in 1993