Apollo Magazine featured my work in their 2010 Spring/Summer issue. It’s been a pleasure to work with them. I created the sculpture aligned with the magazine theme, especially for the interview. This is one of the benefits of going away from commercial sculpture, and working with partners who support my art researches.

Clic on the image below and zoom to enlarge it so you can read the text.

On New Year’s day I was contacted by a US magazine who was interested in featuring my work and a short  interview. After a few days of back and forth e-mails, the editor tells me that they have a Jan 15th deadline for the upcoming issue….. hum, that leaves about 10 days….Challenge accepted !

Pushing myself is what I needed to jump start 2010, after all this time away from sculpture. I knew it, I knew it was going to be intense… I also know that these are the perfect conditions to learn a lot.

Comfort Zone = Death.

This is certainly not my best piece, but this episode taught me unexpected lessons that will influence the way I work for the future projects.

To me this piece, “Show Off”, is the brother of “Vitual Kiss”. They both have influences from our world of today. An influence from Photography, Fashion and Beauty (with Show Off it’s more about emphasizing the attitude though).

A friend told me that “He has such a mythical stature, but looks like a funk master one might cross on the streets today.” Awesome. Getting closer to the goal. Step by step.

Have a great 2010.

Each year, people talk about the few new words that are added in our dictionaries. How about removing some of them ?

Today’s post is about one of those details that I think make a big difference in your mindset. One of those details we don’t usually reveal about ourselves.. “if I talk about it, people will judge me”, and all sorts of related selfconcious issues.

I personally chose to bust loose from the “what will they think” mindset a long time ago. Creativity basically is about coming up with a new idea that will make the old idea obsolete. The idea of innovation is rarely well received, it is the actual innovation that people like, once you’ve taken the step of action and making your idea real.

But back to our topic. Today I’ve chosen to share an intimate detail of my life with you. When we talk about results, we talk about attitudes, and what is “shaping” your attitudes ? The words you use when you talk to yourself. Obviously if you tell yourself “I am not creative”, there is no way you are going to be creative.

The great thing about words, is that you can change them as soon as you decide it. It’s not a long process. Once you have the desire to be your best self, the switch in attitude from “I can’t” to “I can”, is an immediate action and gift you decide to offer to yourself. Try it. NOW.

One of the techniques I used (and still do) is to make some specific words taboo. What a better way than removing these words from your environment ? Some will scream as I take my scissors and open the dictionary… my answer is, get rid of your limitations. Impossible ( by the way please, don’t ask me to use this word, ever again ), is probably the very first word to remove from your mindset / environment.

The “secret” I used to go from never having touched a sculpture tool of my life, to the result I enjoy today after only 3 years of practice, is not a technique. It’s an attitude, and words have played a major role in defining this attitude. Once you get it, no matter if you are a sculptor, a writer or a lawyer, it will work.

Details are everything. Details say a lot, in fact they tell you all you need to know, whether you are in front of someone, or in front of a piece of art. So watch how you treat details and watch your words.

Last year I had the pleasure to host and sculpt Hye Mee. This South Korean beauty wanted to Visit France, especially Paris and the Bordeaux/ St Emilion area where my main studio is. Hye Mee’s sexy humor, her infinite patience during our sculpture sessions, our shared laughs and experiences, are all elements that built unforgettable moments.

At this stage, the piece is still in progress, especially the intricate curly hair. It’s always a good idea to set pieces aside for a period of time. When you get back at them, anything that needs modification is obvious to the eye. If you have curly hair, feel free to send me some pictures for reference.

This sculpture was used for the production of my very first video. Fragment style, combined with chemical reactions, create this unique modern finish. No matter what I use, it’s all about creating things of today. Past is good…in the past. Of course we have so much to learn from our ancestors, but we are living NOW. Let’s create “now things”.

So take a look at what’s been created before, let the best of it infuse your soul, and go create something new. Let’s keep Evolution going.

Enjoy “Modern Africa” in the sculpture gallery by clicking on the picture.

– “A Whole New Mind” by Daniel Pink.  As a left handed creative, how could I resist to this book ?? Much more to come on the subject in the future. Book recommended by my amazing Gina Rudan. An interview of Daniel, along with my video on creativity, was presented during “The Experiment” in NYC.

– An early version of “Who’s Got Your Back” by Keith Ferrazzi.  Thanks to Keith for having shared the manuscript before the book was published.

– “Emotional Awareness”, a conversation between The Dalai lama and Paul Eckman.  I studied (and still do) Paul’s books about human facial expression. I’m big about meditation, so the book was

– “Busting Loose From The Money Game”, by Robert Sheinfeld.  My friend Jorge Colón ( OBA founder ) told me about this book that gives you a totally new perspective on money and life. Interesting reading.

– “The Bhagavad Gita”, A walkthrough for westerners, by Jack Hawley. This is one of the books that I re-read regularly. It’s been called India’s greatest contribution to the world. Very inspiring. Bought in Deepak Chopra’s center in NYC.

– ‘The Bro Code”, by Barney Stinson with Matt Kuhn. This is Barney Stinson’s humour in a book. Barney is the character played by actor Neil Patrick Harris in TV show “How I met Your Mother”. “You live by the bro code, it was natural for you to own a copy” were the words of a very special someone when she made this gift to me. Although certain similarities are obvious, please, let Barney remain Barney, and Seb Zar remain legen……… wait for it…….. dary !! lol

Usually I start several books at the same time. With my busy schedule and the fact that I’m a slow reader ( only on books, not on internet/ articles and so on.. how strange is that ), it can take up to several month to read to the end.

Next on my list ? “The Power Of Less” by Leo Babauta.

Once you reveal the infinite creative being that you are, you can express it effortlessly in any area. I’m here to make you realise that.

Click here to see this video in bigger size

Last couple of weeks have been a total discovery, working on a video project. I just love to try different mediums, photography, video, and my eyes are already on music.. this variety of forms of art will certainly provide balance, and a strong elevation of creativity. Working too long on something is never fun, not for a character like mine anyway.

Sculpture is probably the most challenging form of art. Everything, every detail has to be perfect, otherwise even the non expert eye (my favorite public by the way) instantly notices that “something’s wrong”. Ironically, it is perhaps why I love to sculpt so much.

Fast is key. The faster you experience, the faster you learn, the faster you expand your creativity. The texture / volumes experiments that you have seen are not just the result of “moments of fun”, they are the roots of the future Seb Zar. These moments are probably at the core of what an artist really is, because you can’t plan nor force them. There is nothing to learn. It just is. The Universe decides about the perfect and totally unexpected time. So you’d better stay in tune with it.

So let’s get back to work on exciting projects, let’s build bridges between all the different art forms, and let’s share the fascinating results with you asap

Unplug the brain…put some music….breathe….let the hands talk….

This piece is an exploration into a mix between realism and comic style. I just love to sculpt hair masses. It’s almost the abstract moment of the piece.