WHAT IF BEAUTY MADE PEOPLE HAPPY
By Jean-Philippe Caron | 2017-07-19
I have just finished reading a very interesting book, written by Pierre Thibault and François Cardinal, respectively architect and journalist: “Et si la beauté rendait heureux” (What if Beauty Made People Happy). I strongly identify myself to the creative process narrated by Pierre Thibault. The sensitivity with which this award-winning architect expresses this intimate bond he seeks to weave with nature has deeply touched me. The relationship he developed with “time” expresses with such accuracy what I feel when I create a trophy, that I cannot help but tell you a little about it.
Thibault says about his architectural design work: “The notion of slowness, slowing down is crucial. This is what creates the conditions for acuity. This makes it possible to BE on the site rather than being distracted”.
It is precisely the state of mind I adopt when I create a trophy: I go into a contemplative mode, to grasp the very essence of the object I have to shape. When I created the 2015 Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada trophy, I spent many hours wandering along the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit to soak up its surroundings and take the time to “breathe” the site. You will probably imagine the smells of asphalt, cars and concrete, but it is the trees, the thousands of trees that surround the trail that have made my senses vibrate.
In the article “Canadian GP: The Trophy Champion“, published in La Presse, Marc Tison summarizes my creation: “This piece is both purified and abundant. Eight times, the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit was cut in aluminum and plugged into a cylindrical base. Raised on the point which corresponds to the pin of the circuit, the eight profiles, arranged in rays, symbolize the shaft and the row of a tree. “
About his creative mechanism, Thibault went on to say: “Design has therefore taken time … devoting time and energy to designing the right project makes all the difference. This can even transform us from the stage of elaboration … there is a process of creation which inhabits us, transforms us, enriches us … I am always surprised by the emotions that arise from the process of creation “.
It is precisely what I seek: to be transformed when I create, but also to transform others and change their state when discovering a trophy that perfectly harmonizes with the event for which it was created. Whether it’s 200 million people riveted to their screen at the end of a Formula 1 Grand Prix, or a few dozen people who attend an business award ceremony, I aspire is to see genuine emotions and generate pride.
Jean-Philippe Caron, President and Chief
Creating Officer
Protocole – Trophies of Exception
Lewis Hamilton on the top step of the podium at the Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix in 2015. He also won the first place trophy of the 2016 and 2017 editions that I designed.