Wooden Sculpture by Jacques Pissenem

In Bourges, near the town hall and the cathedral, a 150-year-old maple man died this summer. Rather than shoot him down, the town hall decided to entrust him to a sculptor.
A tree-based sculptor from Ardèche made this work: Jacques Pissenem took three days to complete the work. Some passers-by are surprised: they think that the sculptor did not finish because half of the trunk remained intact. Jacques Pissenem, a tree carver, explains his choice: "As the trunk split very clearly in two, I thought it was interesting to have one side completely sculpted and another left raw to play the contrast. It appeals to passersby. The specifications were to do something abstract and contemporary. In front of the cathedral and its remarkable sculptures, I didn't see myself embarking on anything different. This gives a second impetus to this tree, which is beautiful. It should be able to hold this for another five to ten years.

The sculpture was created from dead trees by tree sculptor Jacques Pissenem at the end of 2023.