We are in Brittany, in the country of Abers and pagans, pirates and legends, on the rocky, tormented and wild coast of northern Finistère (“Land’s end”). On this winter day, the wind is blowing hard at the Port of Koréjou on Penn Enez Peninsula in Plouguerneau.
PORZH AR C’HOREJOU: FAÑCH BRETON HA MISTERIOÙ AR PENN ENEZ
In Korejou Port, French Brittany, Fañch Breton’s calvary and the mysterious peninsula
you will never change
you who destroy
anything that is not you
our eyes are made of stone
our eyelashes are made of stone
our tears are made of stone
and our flowers are made of stone
blue scar-shaped flowers
waterfall flowers swamp flowers
beautiful and silent flowers
flowers like rays of light
and like grains put to germinate
dissolving charred remains
of their drifting words
stealthily we slip under the bark of dead trunks
in the basket of flowering trees
in the saltpeter of autumn days
to celebrate the choreographic winds and the imprint of the sun on the retina of rivers
to sing the peace of the morning
Paol Keineg, 1967 – The poem of the starving country (extract) – Editions Traces
The Port of Korejou, a place rich in history
Grasses rustle and bend. Their top curve towards the earth, around the old stone house of Korejou guards. This house is a remnant of the fortifications and defence system built under Colbert leadership, during the reign of Louis XIV, a reign of bleak memory for Bretons. Next to the guard house, which then will become until the first half of the 20th century a storage place for soda produced from algae combustion, older seaweed kilns are visible. Stretching on nearly 45 kilometers of coastline, Plouguerneau is indeed the French capital of seaweed collectors.
In tune with the rhythms of the hammers and chisels, Calvary sculptures are taking shape
A few meters away, a crest of enigmatic statues stands out like a challenge to time, wind and men, on a Bronze Age slope, which overlooks the seaside road. Between two bursts, we can hear metallic and muffled sounds of instruments hitting the granite rock. They resonate like heartbeats in a regular and hypnotic rhythm.
We are approaching. We can see the silhouette of two men and a woman wearing heavy goggles, hammers and chisels in hands, sculpting stones, modeling granite, creating what seems to be all at once a contemporary, today’s, yesterday’s but timeless Calvary. The base of this Calvary, carved by the hand of men in search of old day’s knowledge and wisdom, reflects the whole mystery of Brittany. Around it, the vegetation is twisted by the wind and sea spray and the cloudy sky is torn by the choreography of the elements.
The Calvary of Estran, a monumental living heritage erected by Fañch Breton and his fellow sculptors
François Breton, known as Fañch Breton, is the designer of this mysterious calvary in Penn Enez (“the peninsula”) in Plouguerneau (Plouguerne in Breton language), in a place facing Korejoù shoreline. This is the Calvary of the Estran. However, on some maps, it is already referred to as “Fañch Breton’s Calvary”. As a multi-faceted artist, after having worked for a long time in Paris as a painter and a designer, Fañch eventually returned to his land of origin. For nearly 15 years, he has devoted his time to the building of the Calvary, a masterful work. Nearly 300 statues are to be built.
Whereas Fañch initially planned devoting 10 years of his life to it, this work has been perpetuated over the years, in Fanch’ time, in our time. It has undoubtedly become the work of Fañch’s life. Fañch Breton can’t imagine stopping one day. Retirement is not for him.
A few fellow sculptors have helped him for a few years, like Goulven Loaec. As an artist to the core, Goulven previously worked as an administrative staff in a social structure. He as well has found inspiration in stone carving. Imperturbably, a female sculptor is sculpting diligently while we talk. The place is open to everyone, walkers, spectators and artists. During a visit to the place, some leave a comment, a stone, a little of themselves. A theater artist comes from time to time to install signs covered with his thoughts in the middle of the statues of the Calvary. Fañch welcomes with kindness these artistic intrusions that visitors try to decipher.
Working as a stonemason is very physical; it also alleviates the wounds of the soul
Fañch says he does not plan too much how his work will shape. His sculptures take shape in tune with his hammer and chisel. He talks about this statue with a human face he had worked horizontally: “For a long time I have not seen it; visitors could not see either. They thought it was a crocodile. They couldn’t see anything. They only saw the appearance of things. When I straightened it up, people saw it. And I discovered it myself. The sculpture, I didn’t see it until I straightened it up”. As in life, the end is not written; it still remains to be discovered.
Individuals have commissioned sculptures from him, sometimes with the aim to pay tribute to the memory of loved ones or to relieve some wounds of the soul. Fañch denies having supernatural or thaumaturgic powers. But his statues have the power to alleviate personal suffering.
Working as a stonemason is very physical, but according to Fañch, it also calms down the mind. The rhythm of gestures, the hypnotic repetition of the sound of the hammer hitting the chisel at a regular pace relieves his mind. And in a quasi-shamanic movement, the granite stone is progressively taking a human appearance, like totems carrying hopes and personal emotions in which everyone finds his or her own satisfaction.
Fañch shows us a quite rough statue of a man crossing his arms and facing the sea. The statue was placed a bit away from the Calvary, near the guard house. The man is looking away with determination. The statue is in fact a representation of Fañch’s late father. Fañch never goes to the cemetery. He prefers to visit his father’s soul through this granite representation with which he is in close contact on a daily basis.
Like his work, Fañch is a free man
The land belonged to Fañch’s grandmother. It is located in an ancient oppidum. Between the Colbert’s fortifications and seaweeds house, the place is steeped in history.
Like his work, Fañch is a free man.
His project is noble and respectful. We should all be convinced of that. Calvary’s timelessness blends naturally into the landscape and into everyone’s imagination.
A dialogue seems to be established between stone figures
Some of the Calvary sculptures tell lives or slices of life. Thus, one of low-reliefs carvings represents a ship in a calm weather, then the same ship in a storm weather, and finally her sinking. It is the allegory of an existence, the one of a sailor friend who, after a happy life, went through many hardships before passing away.
Each sculpture is unique and can be distinguished from others. They compose all together a kind of Ex-Voto. They all seem to come together in a coherent way. A dialogue seems to take place between stone figures, like a play being played out before our eyes.
A few funds from individuals and companies are more than welcome
A few companies and individuals have contributed to the financing of this collective work. Funds are collected by the Association du Calvaire de l’Estran. Fañch benefited from the generosity of a few donors to help him at the beginning of this long-term project.
Fañch evokes this female friend, rather wealthy, who had commissioned a tall statue of the Mother and Child to put in her property. Fañch convinced her to display instead the statue in full public view. Like a Madonna and Child, the statue is now displayed in front of Lilia church in Plouguerneau. Although the statue is imposing, it only took two months to Fañch to complete it. Fañch explains that the size of his works is not necessarily related to the duration of their realization.
Sculpted under the features of a woman, Saint-Tariec protects the location from the sea
One work displayed in the Calvary was originally in a small island. Unfortunately, the statue shattered under the blows of the storm and Fañch had to erect a stronger one. The original is now in Korejou.
A bit distant from the Calvary, a statue of Saint-Tariec stands at the tip of the peninsula overlooking the sea. Saint-Tariec was a monk of Irish origin and Armorican Saint in French Brittany. He is not recognized by the Catholic Church. Fañch sculpted the statue about 8 years ago. He represented it under the features of a woman. Fañch explains: “This sculpture at the tip of the peninsula aims to protect the location from the onslaught of the waves. It required a lot of work. He looks like a woman because only a woman is able to provide such a protection. ” And Fañch adds with conviction: “it works”.
This is yet another mystery of this place beaten by winds and waves. There are certainly plenty more to discover. We let Fañch and his fellow sculptors resuming their work. The Coast of the Legends has not yet yielded up all its secrets. We will come back.
Like the three branches of a triskell
Like the sea, the sky, and the earth
Like childhood, manhood and old age
Like the past, present and future
Like sleep, dream and wake up
Like misfortune, hope and eternity
Like wisdom, travel and freedom
Like Brittany, its men and its granite
Like the three young sailors back from their journey
Like the bourdon pipes of a Bignou Vraz
Like the trinity
Like the three crosses of a Calvary
That’s it, the rhyme is over
Setu echu eo ar rimadell
Ar tri maengizellerien (« the three sculptors ») – Acanthe, Mars 2021
