Pol Bury (Haine-Saint-Pierre, 1922 - Paris, 2005) is considered a major contemporary artist of the 20th century . Although his early days in painting were influenced by surrealism, he later moved away from it by joining the Cobra group and then continuing his work on the abstract side. His personal journey led him to sculpture, creating objects animated by slow and random movements. His participation in the 32nd The 1964 Venice Biennale marked the beginning of an international career, later confirmed by major retrospectives touring the United States and Europe. A tireless worker, he developed his artistic practice in various forms: sculpture, graphic works, films, jewelry, digital prints, monumental works, fountains... From the beginning of his career to the end, the artist never stopped writing and publishing books.
The purpose of this essay is to explore the important dimension that writing takes in his creative activity. How does it fit with his artistic approach? Pol Bury does not mix plastic and literary activities: for him, a sculpture is a sculpture, and a book is a book. However, his writing proceeds directly from the practice of his art. He translates and transposes it not "literally" but "laterally," thanks to a constant invention in the form and content of his texts. Between the poetic character of his plastic creations and the offbeat way in which he uses them with all the components of the book, a "circulation" is established that is constantly renewed. To put it another way: Pol Bury works as a poet and writes as an artist. To fully understand his work as a sculptor, it is necessary to read his writings...