Élise Deubel

What makes a piece valuable? What are the different criteria to classify an object and decide whether it’s worth keeping, archiving. What makes art out of a bulky and worthless object? These are notions of preciousness.

Lately, I have been working on display dispositifs and socles using wood, found materials and cardboard assemblages, that can be combined with drawings and small silver or bronze sculptures. When the socle is considered a full part of the sculpture, it serves as a support but can also exist as an independent piece when shown differently. Putting work on a pedestal can make a piece precious. It’s a bit classist sometimes, who decides, really, what gets to be in a museum. That’s why it’s nice to make ‘non-fixed’ statues: I can play with its status depending on how it’s presented in a space.

My recent work is infused with a “Countryside Prom Queen” storyline. Think of a beauty contest in a small village, where you can be “Miss Something”. Coming from nowhere but dreaming to make it big, to be recognized, in the light. I like writing stories as a background to my work. This particular narrative is a joking way to address meritocracy - the illusion that if you try hard enough, you will make it, not accounting for all the different social criteria. Nowadays it’s a big privilege to be able to make art and live from it. The background stories aren’t explicit. I use philosophical prompts, dream objects, recurring symbols such as rotten apples, lost shoes. I’m exploring new ways to navigate through these narratives, make them appear more prominently.

I studied sculpture at Ensad Nancy (beaux arts, FR) and graduated with a master’s degree in 2021. As a woman I felt I had to constantly prove & legitimize myself in my field: sculpt big, read theory. Education came in between me and my vision. I was making huge pieces, after a while I questioned whether there were logical reasons to this size. They took up a lot of space, I wondered how to keep, store, archive these big pieces. I had to throw a lot in the trash, I was producing so much waste. Around that point I got interested in making jewelry. I moved to Antwerp to learn the craft. It was the best option, taking up little space, producing little waste and allowing me to step back from my artistic practice a bit.

The first jewels I made were parts of larger sculptures, like nails or support made to attach a piece to a wall. Then I started making unique pieces for people to wear on their body. My practice was evolving and maturing without existing, there were no exhibitions or installations in this period. It was nice to take a break to think about it properly, so now I can do something more authentic.

We’re living in a time where productivity is very important, you must make new things all the time, one piece after the other. I’m trying to make works I can change, destroy, put together and separate to make new works. With this method you can try, fail, get surprised. Nothing needs to stay the same forever – we can change it. Materials that have already been used, can be changed or reused are nice. Metal can always be re-melted; they’re not fixed. You avoid waste and sometimes you can see traces, notions of history on the material.

At Bosacademie I’m returning to my sculpture / installation / drawing practice, to have it cohabiting with my jewelry practice. They are all part of the same body of work. One practice adds to another. I started jewelry as a means to make tiny sculptures. Then it became increasingly present in my life, until it was my main source of income and started pushing out my other disciplines. Now I want time and a space where I can make the sculptures exist again. The balance returns.

Elise exposeert tijdens de Vruchtbare Grond Expo van 14 mei tot en met 23 mei