The lift can even inspire forms of art: this is the case of the sculpture created by Jean Paul Philippe in the Municipality of Rapolano Terme (Siena) entitled precisely “Lift”.
The work is located within the works “Walk found” in Via Giuseppe Mazzini, in a panoramic point of the city.
The Artist
Jean-Paul Philippe lives and works between Paris and Tuscany. Initially consecrated as a painter, he attended the Beaux Arts in Paris; a first crucial trip to Italy dates back to 1960, and the experience at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence the following year. In 1973 he was struck by the marble quarries and by the professionalism of the artisan workshops of Carrara, learning the techniques of sculpture. Significant of his production, in 1993, the well-known Site transitoire, a monumental complex installed on the crest of the Crete near Asciano. He has participated in numerous international exhibitions, mainly with the Jeanne-Bucher gallery in Paris.
The Opera
The Rapolano work, located in a panoramic point that dominates the surrounding nature, far from the chaos of the city, imposes itself as a modern monolith characterized by minimal shapes that highlight the majesty of the material: on the rough-hewn travertine blocks, the balance is compromised by an inclined block on top, smooth while the metal strips on the edges create fascinating reflections. The lift connecting the city and the underlying car park is located inside the main body, making the building fully functional.
