The secret of wooden lace in the hands of Pascal Oudet

Audio 02:57

Pascal Oudet in his studio © Pascal Oudet

By: Maria Afonso

4 min

Pascal Oudet, woodturner-sculptor, realizes his works in his workshop near Grenoble, in a valley surrounded by forests.

Pascal Oudet fell in love with manual work and wood processing.

Under his hands, a piece of holm oak becomes a thin and fragile cake reminiscent of lace.

Oak wood is refined and hollowed out to produce daring and poetic works.   

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Take a piece of wood, any piece of wood that doesn't look like nothing, put it on the lathe and have an object, something simple.

Turning is instant gratification compared to other woodworking trades.

I love watching beautiful things other people do and I love trying to create them.

I have a love for wood and for the beauty of the object that I want to pass on.

I would like people to think of wood a little differently, to think of trees differently, ”

says Pascal Oudet, woodcarver-turner. 

Collection - Pascal Oudet © Pascal Oudet

Pascal Oudet has an initial training as an engineer.

He discovered woodworking as an amateur.

First in carpentry and then in turning, a practice that allows you to make decorative objects.

For the past fifteen years he has been a full-time professional sculptor and wood turner.

He has a particular technique: wood lace.

He has developed it over the years.  

"Each of my objects will tell the story of a particular tree"   

Word of mouth, from salons to exhibitions, his works are known and recognized by this technique which has become his signature.   

I only work with oak.

I choose my oaks in the forest, then I work them by turning, removing a lot of material, to arrive at a shape that is very fine.

I take advantage of the structure of the oak which is very particular.

I use all that is tender in the matter.

This is what will give a lace effect.

There's just the hardest structure that's going to stay and it feels like a form of weaving.

 », Says the woodturner-sculptor.

Wood lace - Pascal Oudet © Pascal Oudet

“The shape must be pleasing to the eye, the curves and proportions must be harmonious,” he

explains.

 First I will do the outside to have this shape and then the inside.

What I look for in my work is to highlight the history of trees.

The toughest structure of the tree is dictated by its growing conditions, by the rhythm of the seasons.

It is the alternation of rings and patterns that will give a lace that will be particular to a tree, a place, a region, a provenance, a climate.

Each of my objects thus tells the story of a particular tree

 , ”adds Pascal Oudet.

Woodturning- Pascal Oudet © Pascal Oudet

The love of trees, the poetry of the object 

Pascal Oudet loves wood and trees.

He is keen on this material in front of which, according to him, one should be humble.   

You need some peace of mind,” he

says, “

because the shoot is very long and non-stop.

From the moment I put a coin on the lathe, I can't stop, I have to go all the way.

The wood is damp and cool, it will want to work, it will not be able and therefore it can split.

You have to be aware of all of this and be focused.

And at the same time, it's also relaxing.

It smells good, the chips fly and I see the material transforming, ”

concludes Pascal Oudet.     

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