The ceramics book written in 1989 by Annie Guédras, a specialist in Jean Cocteau’s graphic work, deals with a few copies based on original models, and carried out with the autorization of the artist himself, as well as works that are unique or out of circulation.
This catalogue includes 256 coloured illustrations, 134 black and white illustrations over 196 pages.
It consists of a day of technical change where the hands of the poet explore the oxide of the fragments of his unconscious.
Various nude plates, undergo superior repairs and drift to Philippe Madeline who will try to do his best to put some order in this amazing mess.
Furiously he separates all that is mackled with digital prints, that would spoil forever works full of good ideas.
But the genious wakes up and Jean Cocteau, we would have guessed it, leaves suddenly his quarrels with the material, and pulls Philippe's sleeves, Philippe who fulminates and puts his hand to a still pure cutting.
- Who is there, says the plate ?
- Ah! Ok!... But enter Mr Cocteau.
By his childly and rather poetic impulse, the two friends explose in an enormous joy that doesn't need any explication. They have fun by transferring hastily the vision of this carnal "equipment" on everything that is within their range, then they immortalize the happy event with a magnificent plate, that, because the cause only of its birth avoids the investigation of the critical art!...It was undoubtedly a nice day!...
Annie Guédras
Expert de l’œuvre graphique et plastique
de Jean Cocteau