Art & the Olympic and Paralympic games 2024
Many thanks to Carole Feuerman, internationnaly renowned American sculptor, for making us dream last summer with her work "DIVER". This monumental sculpture was exhibited at the foot of the Eiffel Tower during the festivities of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, offering a captivating visual dialogue between two slender icons.
The Eiffel Tower, all lacy iron meanders, seemed to converse with "DIVER", a plain bronze sculpture depicting a swimmer ready to dive, head bent towards the ground and legs stretched skyward.
This evocative posture, a symbol of momentum and gravity, was in perfect harmony with the emblematic architecture of Paris. The athlete's bathing cap, covered in shimmering gold leaf, contrasted magnificently with the patinated bronze of the ebony body, adding a luminous, precious dimension to this hyper-realistic work.
With "DIVER", the artist's talent lies in her ability to capture the precise moment when the body is suspended. The tension in the diver's body, ready to be released in a calculated fall, evokes a mixed emotion of admiration and vulnerability. This suspended moment evokes courage, determination and the lightness of movement.
Carole Feuerman, a pioneer of the hyperrealism movement, is famous for her figurative sculptures of swimmers and dancers. The artist's passion for water and oceans is rooted in childhood memories of the sea. She immortalizes swimmers emerging from the water, their skin glistening with water droplets, and transforms them into works of art that seem to vibrate with emotion.
Before becoming one of the leading figures in hyperrealism, Carole Feuerman began her career as an illustrator for the New York Times and designer of album covers for iconic bands such as the Rolling Stones. Her rich and inspiring career reflects a boundless artistic curiosity and an exceptional ability to transcend disciplines.
With "DIVER", the artist has once again reminded us that art can be a mirror of our deepest emotions, a bridge between the tangible and the ethereal. Paris, in the summer of 2024, had the immense privilege of becoming the stage for this unforgettable encounter.
Mari Yvenat