view from the road via streetview
His father, grandfather and great-grandfather were blacksmiths, but -as his father had said- this profession at present era would offer him no perspective. So André Debru became a service technician, caring for the machines of the farmers in the area.
However, the craft of the earlier generations definitely has influenced him to process metals into artistic creations. It has been reported that as a boy of eleven he already used iron leftovers to make some creative construct.
unless indicated otherwise pictures are stills
from the Jada video (see documentation)
While working as a mechanic, in addition to this job, he would collect all iron items and leftovers he could lay his hand on and processing these into creative constructs.
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Just outside the small community of Les Costes Gozon, in the countryside of the Aveyron area (France), he has his workshop, crammed with a stock of all kinds of iron objects and components, which might be used in his creations..
In front of the workshop and on the grassland at the side, a number of his sculptures are exhibitioned, some of these being rather big, such as a giraffe, a rhino, an elephant, a bear, a bull, the Obelix and Quixote characters .......
Aa the pictures show, Debru puts his creations together by assembling a lot of smaller items and elements, arranging these in such a way, that the resulting composition is a rather realistic representation of the animal or the personality. In this way, for example, the body of the monumental elephant has been made from thousands of small squares of metal..
The workshop is open to visitors, when Debru is there, and he will like to innform them about his activities.
On a blackboard against a wall, it is announced that one is visting the "Debris of Debru"....a rather humourous approach to his work, which also can be seen in other expressions of the artist.
Sculptures in public space
In the course of the years a number of Debru's larger creations have got a place in public space. One remarkable job, commissioned by the town, was the decoration of a roundabout in Roquefort, where they make that famous cheese.
Debru created an ensemble depicting a shepherd with a flock of (chrome) sheep.
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Documentation, more pictures
In the course of the years a number of Debru's larger creations have got a place in public space. One remarkable job, commissioned by the town, was the decoration of a roundabout in Roquefort, where they make that famous cheese.
Debru created an ensemble depicting a shepherd with a flock of (chrome) sheep.
via streetview
Documentation, more pictures
* Article on touristic website Black Rabbit (in english, undated)
* A video by Jada (7'50", Youtube, uploaded feb 2009),
* A video by Jada (7'50", Youtube, uploaded feb 2009),
André Debru
Les débris de Debru
Le pradalas (D 527)
12400 Les Costes Gozon
Aveyron, Midi Pyrénées FR
can be visited when the artist is present
Le pradalas (D 527)
12400 Les Costes Gozon
Aveyron, Midi Pyrénées FR
can be visited when the artist is present
André Debru weergeven op een grotere kaart