The Centuries-old European
Joinery Techniques.
Joinery and Carving.
Jean-Philippe Haure, even though trained at the Ecole Boulle in Paris to use French patterns, chooses to uses traditional Balinese patterns (pepatran) on the frames that ornament his painting. His patterns are all floral, a reminder of the presence of Nature. One finds the samblung pattern, derived from the flower of the same name; the sari pattern, so called after the pistil of the flower; and several original floral patterns created for Jean-Philippe by I Gusti Ketut Dartha from the village of Lebih in Gianyar. The design, technical setup and joinery of each frame are all painstakingly hand-made by the artist himself, using centuries-old European techniques that he learned at the Ecole Boulle.The making of a single frame, including drawing on wood, carving, and joinery work, as well as gilding and finishing, requires no less than a month and a half.
Gilding.
Gilding is used in Eastern and Western traditions to enhance the beauty of wooden carving. Jean-Philippe Haure’s carved frames are all gilded using the following steps:
- -The wood surface is subjected to a meticulous process of sanding, so as to smooth it as much as possible.
- -One or more layers of gesso are then applied to the sanded surface so as to totally fill up the pores of wood and thus obtain a perfectly smooth surface.
- -A liquid synthetic glue is then applied to enable the gold leaf to adhere to the surface.
- -Before the glue dries, gold leaves are carefully laid, one by one, over the surface of the carving with a brush, until all of it is covered, down to its smallest corner.
- -After drying for a few days, a varnish is applied to protect the gold surface. In ancient times, one would burnish the gold to obtain a brightly reflective shine.
Jean Couteau
