Fumée 24b35

Unique technique: Etienne Gros uses smoke from candles or oil lamps to deposit carbon on paper. This process creates evanescent, poetic forms reminiscent of prehistoric frescoes.
Neither brushes nor pencils are used in this technique. The artist refrains from any retouching or gumming, leaving the smoke to sculpt the forms in a random and natural way.
He plays with wicks of various sizes to control the intensity and nuances of the smoke, which requires great skill and patience. Many leaves are often sacrificed before a satisfactory result is achieved.