a popular dictionary:
pyrøgraphie (fr./ger.):
special drawing technique using sparklers (or other explosive
matter) on easily flammable ground (e.g. paper). Invented by
the artist group Zeichner
in 1999 in Weimar, then cultural capital of Europe. The
term was adopted from an anonymous French bystander
in Lorient / Bretagne.
pyro- (grk.): explosive, flammable
-graphie (lat.): 1.science, description 2. written
records
3. to write. to draw |
|
|
on the 17th August of
1998 the first portrait of a common human being
using a common sparkler on a common sheet of
paper was drawn in
the history of the western hemisphere. This
procedure took 42 seconds
on average. The portrait was sold for 3 D-Marks
(Euro 1,50). As our
abilities were rather moderate in the beginning,
the drawings then
made were covered with huge burning holes and
were rather not so
similar to the face of the customer.
Sometimes the sheet would catch
fire and burn to nothing in front of the amazed
eyes of the customers
and bystanders. Main customers in this time
were friends, students,
professors and teachers of the Bauhaus-University
of Weimar, and
some school classes that wished to insult their
teacher in their
graduation newspaper... Many thanks to all who
supported ZEICHNER
in this difficult time.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
With a growing degree of mastership
due to several drawing
sessions a week the trash-factor in the pictures was reduced
to an acceptable minimum. 42 seconds, however, were rather
tight to produce a recognizable similarity to the respective
model. So ZEICHNER decided to increase the time - and
therefore the amount of available material -to 84 seconds
(i.e. 2 sparklers). The price of a portrait climbed to 5 D-Marks
per sheet. To keep spirits up, ZEICHNER learned all sorts
of methods of attracting people, sometimes only short of,
well, brain-washing... : "Ugly portraits for pretty people."
|
|
|
|
|
Everybody who wants
a portrait must pay - that's
obvious. It is tradition. However, what the
customer is paying with, remains his decision.
Everybody should have a chance to get a
pyrography portrait, no matter how much or how
little treasure he has piled up. For this,
ZEICHNER re-established the system of
bartering that stems from the Middle Ages and
has unfortunately become almost forgotten
since the breakdown of the Soviet Union. In
exchange for drawings, ZEICHNER has already
received delicate salads, tense visits to a ghost
train, tasteful cocktails of all sorts (unforgettable
the strawberry margherita in Scheveningen,
Holland), and Henna- tattoos. We never
regretted the deal. SO: give us an offer - for
instance, if you happen to be captain on a big
luxury cruising boat suggest us a cruise in
exchange for a marvellous sparkler portrait... |
|
|
|
|
La Crème
de la crème of the Portraits Not Wanted
- that is the Unsellable Portraits. Now we are
absolutely sure that those not having taken them
regret this decision to the end of their lives. Whoever
recognizes his/her grandpa/ma, friend, brother/sister
etc WINS the respective portrait!
Send us a proof including a photograph.
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
... well, and here are
some examples from the beginning
of Pyrography that we didn't dare to show earlier so that we
wouldn't scare you off... |
|
 
|
|
