It is in a completely appropriate setting – the Romanesque church of Saint-Gilles d’Ambialet – that you will be able to admire a superb exhibition of illuminations produced by two passionate artists, Joëlle Constans and Nancy Cahuzac, who perpetuate this ancestral art of Middle Ages, when books were rare and valuable. You will be able to admire magnificent paintings because the art of illumination is not limited to the initials alone. These two artists have solid training, School of Fine Arts in Nantes for Joëlle Constans then training with a Meilleur Ouvrier de France; a long and rigorous apprenticeship with renowned illuminators for Nancy Cahuzac. The realization of an illumination requires – in addition to talent – a lot of time, you have to prepare the parchments, grind the pigments, know how to master the use of gold leaf, because these two artists make it a point of honor to bring back to life as faithfully as possible the gestures of the past. It is a slow and meticulous art, each painting requires at least 20 hours of work. Joëlle Constans, founder of the Tarn Association of Illumination Friends, leads a workshop in Albi as part of the University for All in order to pass on her knowledge. Nancy Cahuzac has devoted herself exclusively to this art since 2021 since she has made it her profession, she is vice-president of the Tarn Enluminure association and refers particularly to works from the Book of Kells, a manuscript illustrated with ornamental motifs. These two enthusiasts have taken Josiane Cahuzac (mother of Nancy), an accomplished embroiderer, into their adventure, who, with the tip of her needle, adapts models of initials admirably. The exhibition, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., is organized by the Sport culture and leisure association of Ambialet.
#Ambialet #Illuminations #SaintGilles #August
