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LERY, Quebec — French Canadian artist Steven Spazuk uses fire to sculpt incredibly detailed images with soot.
Spazuk uses a technique called fumage, which he has perfected over the last 14 years, according to his website. The technique first requires kissing flame to paper to make fluid trails and amorphous shapes of soot as a base. The artist then uses various tools to push, remove and refine the soot into highly detailed works of art.
The video shows Spazuk adding soot in both seemingly random patterns and in recognizable basic shapes, as well as occasionally using stencils. He then expertly shapes the soot with brushes, feathers, craft knives and needles to create refined details.
“Spontaneity and chance are the heart and soul of his creative process,” the artist’s website says of Spazuk’s process. “This in-the-moment creative practice coupled with the fluidity of the soot, creates a torrent of images, shadows and light.”
While some of the finished works remain a little more amorphous overall, some of the pieces have almost photographic detail, including these large portraits that aren’t part of the video. Either way, the process is mesmerizing to watch.
To learn more about Spazuk and to see more of his work, visit his Facebook page or website.
(Video via ArtFido.com/Youtube)
