Zoomorphic Vase, Stoneware, Jean-paul And Suzy Brunet, Atelier Palègre, Circa 1975

Atelier PalègreJean-Paul Brunet (1942-1996) & SuzyBRUNET (1940)Zoomorphic vase with bird's head and plumage in chamotte stonewareheight 17cm - diameter at the base8cmSigned Atelier Palègre under the base - circa 1975Small loss on the back (see photo)Born in Ponsas in the north of Drôme, in 1942, his family had been settled there since the Revolution. His father, a companion of the Tour de France, had created the pottery factory of Andancette before buying the one in Ponsas, because he wanted his son to be born on the land of his ancestors. But Jean-Paul, contrary to his father's wishes, did not want to take over the paternal business. He preferred to enroll at the School of Art of Valence directed by PaulBernezat. There he met Suzy, who would become his wife. For two years, they trained in Saint-Désirat with a potter-farmer. Then they had their workshop, La Palègre, built on a hill in Ponsas, in the "bubble house" style specific to the architect Haüsermann. For ten years, Jean-Paul and Suzy made utility models with great success; they had major clients in Lyon and Les Baux de Provence. Then Jean-Paul decided to take the plunge. He no longer waited for possible orders but did what he wanted to do. He threw himself into sculpture and, says Suzy, "he spent hours on it and forgot everything." They used clay taken from a refractory products company in Saint-Vallier. It was chamotte clay fired at a maximum temperature of 1280°C. Jean-Paul died in 1996, at the age of 54, the victim of a terrible illness. Suzy is devastated: "I was in osmosis with him. We always worked together, just think, we got married so young." J. Delatour and J.ClercEd. AUED, Valence, Études drômoises, quarterly review, no. 63, October 2015, pp. 33 to 37, cited in https://clementcividino.over-blog.com/2019/12/atelier-palegre/jean-paul-brunet.html Photo credits: - Gallery Clément Civido: portrait of Jean-Paul Brunet - Collection architecture: Atelier Palègre, exterior view