VIDEO. In the workshop of Boethos, a Gers artist from the banks of the RN124 with intriguing and surprising works

A 3 m high statue of Saint James, stone pigs and ducks or even a steel bull: we are indeed in Gascony. Leaving Auch, towards Landes or Nogaro, it is impossible to miss this house with its garden filled with metal sculptures that are as intriguing as they are surprising. Along the RN 124, La Dépêche du Midi stopped to meet the artist behind it all.

Master craftsman, stonemason and sculptor, Christian Boé, aka Boethos, welcomes us to his whimsical workshop located 11 km from Vic-Fezensac to share his inspirations. Once past the gate, the facade of the house already surprises the visitor. Two imposing columns are topped by a pediment in a Greco-Roman style. “I did everything!”, Boethos is satisfied.

His house, where his creations are born, is bathed in a cozy, almost mysterious atmosphere. On the furniture, countless sculptures share space with trinkets and other travel souvenirs. But nothing compares to what is at the bottom of the garden.

When walking around the vast grounds, you have to be careful where you step. There are blocks of solid marble, pieces of patinated scrap metal, and various fragments, accumulated over the years. “As César said, you need chaos to inspire, you need to store!”, jokes Christian. For his metal sculptures, the artist works mainly with recycled objects.

Marble imported from Portugal

After training and beginning his career in a foundry in the Paris region, Christian Boé took up sculpture. In the 1980s, he founded his stone cutting company in his native Gers. First in Eauze then in Dému where he has been based for 25 years.

“I made a lot of fireplaces before getting into sculpture and metal,” he explains. Near his house, heavy blocks of marble lie under a barn, ready to be cut by an imposing machine that the artist proudly presents. “It moves forward, there is water flowing to cool it. It’s manual so it’s physical. And you can cut marble, stone or sandstone but not granite, it’s too hard.”

Boethos has the marble imported directly from Portugal by truck. “With these materials, I made gates and entrances for castles. It’s a passion. When I was little, I dreamed of being a sculptor. In Paris, I resigned: with a boss, you can’t ‘express”, explains the Gers artist.

For years, Boethos devoted himself fully to his art, shaping stone and metal with an unwavering passion, anchored in his childhood dreams. And to sell your creations, nothing really complicated.

“I love Greek art”

Boethos’ house is actually an open-air exhibition area. “Cars stop and people ask me if I’m selling.” One day, a man even stopped to ask Christian for a replica of the marble bathtub of the King of Morocco. “He asked me if I could make one for a rich man from Africa, I said yes!”

While the king’s was cast, Christian cut the stone directly. Hours of work. For a marble sculpture, it can take between four and six months of work.

With columns, pediments and even a sculpture by Vercingétorix, references to Antiquity come to life in his works, inspired by his love for classical architecture. “I love Greek art and architecture. In my old house, I also made columns and an Ionic capital with an all-marble pediment,” says Christian.

Today, some of his works are exhibited at the Gers Departmental Council and in the Endoumingue area in Auch. Although Boethos is retired, he continues to produce some small works in complete humility. “What good did all that do for me, I don’t really know… to live part of my life?”