French sculptor Jean-Marie Appriou creates large scale installations which consider the dual image as it appears both in the arts and in the natural environment. The big watcher (identified by its slightly opened mouth) and The big traveler (2020) constitute a monumental cast aluminum pairing of two dromedaries which appear to walk in the air above their mirrored reflections. The son of a sculptor and set designer, Appriou first models his ideas in clay, later casting his forms at a foundry. Appriou made his first aluminum casts in his father's garden in Brittany, and later explained, "I like aluminum as a material; it interests me for its modernity. It allows me to work on a monumental scale." [1] The paired sculptures result in an uncanny scene, as the dromedaries' reflected image above ground is made further surreal by the uniform application of material and color. Conceived by the artist for outdoor installation and meant to be sited close to each other, the monumental scale of the animals exceeds the standard format of public memorials honoring historical figures. Instead, the dromedaries appear plucked from the dessert into unusual cityscapes (such as in this work's previous installation in Amsterdam's ARTZUID), or here in the park of a castle. Exotic to their German setting, the unaccompanied animals reference a mirage and allude to Romantic Orientalism popularized throughout Europe in the 19th century.

[1] “Unbridled: The Wild Equestrian Statues of Jean-Marie Appriou.” GARAGE: September, 2019.