In Éléonore Grignon pastoral garden
Artist and designer, my approach is multifaceted, between research-creation, writing and encounters; with ecology, craftsmanship and collaboration as favourite subjects. In my artistic process, 7 verbs give rhythm to my work: to walk, observe, manipulate, assemble, play, seed. I live at my Mum’s house in the city of Rennes after moving out from Paris last year. A transitry phase corresponding to a need of being more rooted and surrounded by nature to develop projects at a more local scale.
My corner of nature is the garden of my family house. A garden filled with flowers, fruit and nut trees. Here the gardener’s hand is light as we try to not over-control nature. My ritual is to have a walk around the garden early in the morning, to connect with the elements, take care of the plants, the veggie patch and to pick fresh flowers accompanied by the singing of birds.
Coming from a generation of peasants and beekeepers,the taste of the soil infused into my veins. My grandmother plays an important role in my learning of everyday things. My Proust madeleine is her Savoie cake, light and spongious, on which I would love to rest my cheeks, like on a pillow.
I now grow seedlings under the veranda from free and replicable seeds. As the weather has been quite unstable, I await for the wind and rain to calm down so I can transplant my veggies and medical herbs.
I chose a round veggie patch , being naturally attracted to this shape which links to the perpetual cycle of life and to the idea that everything comes back to the soil. I have a close interest in the cycles of the moon and wish to experiment growing at a small scale a mandala garden in permaculture.
Throughout my investigations, two people with unique paths particularly inspired me. Anaïs Kerhoas. Her determination, freedom, as well as her intimate and sensitive approach to the living profoundly impressed me. I strongly recommend her book and the documentary Anaïs s’en va-t-en guerre. Satish Kumar, activist and cofounder of the Schumacher College in the UK, a one-of-a-kind education center where knowledge gets transmitted by putting hands into the soil.
“When you come out of university, you cannot build your home, repair your shoes, nor make your clothes, nothing. Education needs revolution. And revolution comes from education of head, heart and hands.”
Satish Kumar
In parallel to my writing activities, I founded Atelier Colza with my mum. Together, we dig for daily objects and craft home textile pieces from antique and second hand fabrics. A project on the edge of art and ecology, nourished by my family roots where pastoral tables, vegetable crops, gingham tablecloths and knitting lessons have lulled my childhood and creativity.
I wish you all to glean, share, seed, dig for alternatives and explore new fields. And to harvest, with joy!
