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A Dream Within A Dream - an interview with Julien Breton, a.k.a. Kaalam
By Ziggy Nixon
Imagine that you have to learn about how inks and different graphic tools – including a wide range of pens and other writing implements – work in order to create your art. Okay, many of you are nodding, that’s good, let’s keep going. Now let’s add to that also working with more advanced paints, different brushes and even calligraphy equipment and methodology. Okay, a few less heads are nodding, but still we’ve got a good audience left playing this little game. Now let’s add to that a need for understanding how light works in the same way as your inks and paints do, including now both light that you can see and light that you can't see. Hmm, a few less participants are left. Let’s wrap up this skills set then with a healthy dose of understanding three-dimensional design, time-lapse photography and even choreography. Oh dear, just that many left? Oops, and we forgot to add: you have to teach yourself all these skills with no formal education.
You certainly don’t need to know all that about Julien Breton, a.k.a. Kaalam, and his calligraphy, but it adds a little more appreciation for what he’s accomplished and for where he’s no doubt heading. Julien is an affable and out-going young man from Nantes in France, who began his “hobby” working with calligraphy in 2001 initially by simply imitating contemporary Arabic calligraphers. As mentioned, he is self-taught, having also incorporated his appreciation for graffiti in order to develop his own “Latin-based” alphabet. In addition to creating his works, which range from amazingly beautiful pieces on paper, to photographs capturing anywhere from a few minutes to several hours of work, to even his performances in the “virtual” world, he also incorporates inspiring phrases and quotes in many cases. These are taken from the diverse worlds of Western and Middle Eastern philosophers, French rap and hip-hop artists, and other famous writers, including the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Mark Twain.
When Julien discovered the so-called “light-graff” process, he began to experiment with a new way of creation. This new means of expression requires not only calligraphy skills but also a full range of body language choreography and hi-tech exchanges with photographers and video artists. But, in this way, Julien has managed to replace paint with light! And any surface can become his canvas, from beautiful landscapes and historic monuments to the sides of buildings, or the bare-skinned backs of posed models. Since the beginning of 2009, Julien has also joined up with the group Digital Slaves. By experiment, their collaboration has invented a new process for creating real-time virtual calligraphy. They have also continued to develop light calligraphy (the differences between “light” and “virtual” calligraphy will become clear later) through a show that combines calligraphy, music and dance.
Ziggy Nixon is very pleased to have caught up with Julien to talk about both the “real” and “virtual” parts of his craft:
Can you tell us about how you got started with your “calligraphic art”?
My journey, or course of development with my art, has not been very close to what you could call classical!
I have a BTS in Administration and Management of audio-visual production (ZN: a BTS degree in France is a "Brevet de Technicien Supérieur" diploma which is typically awarded after two years of study after the baccalaureate or BS degree). Still, before I started my technical studies, I really wanted to be a musician ... a pianist to be exact. But I was always frightened by the prospects of life as an artist. So instead, I decided I would stay kind of in orbit around this world, you know, staying near it but maybe a bit more hidden in the shadows.
After college, I developed an association called Pick Up Production that organizes all kinds of events, including evening concerts and other cultural activities, video projects and screenings and more in Nantes. Afterwards, I started with Scopic, which is a co-operative group that also manages graphics projects, events (including conferences, receptions, exhibitions, stands, etc.) and offers various services for communications and multi-media presentations (ZN also recommends checking out their fun-spirited blog for more!).
In terms of calligraphy, I’ve been working on that since 2001. But it’s only been since about November 2008 that calligraphy has really captured me, so much so that it really became impossible for me to combine my daily work and my passion for my art. As such, I am now working on my calligraphy full-time. You indicate that you are self-taught. How did this process work and how did you manage to learn so much so quickly? |  |
Calligraphy is very far away from the world where I come from. For me, I first discovered it in 2001 through the work of various contemporary Arab calligraphers, including Hassan Massoudy, Salah Moussawy, or Lassaâd Métoui. I started out by simply reproducing their pieces and forms.
But then I said to myself: “Hey, wait a minute, Julien, you do not speak Arabic.” It really kind of bothered me that I could be making mistakes with this beautiful art-form and the correct use of the language.
So I decided to invent my own Latin-based alphabet, which was of course inspired by the more abstract Arabic forms. But it was not easy as I had no training, or education in graphic art. I didn’t know anything about inks or paints or the tools I needed or anything.
As such, it was a long and difficult learning process for me. But I couldn’t afford classes or otherwise take time off and sign up for internships, so it was necessary for me to find my own way.
I also had an incredible desire to find and utilize texts from the world of rap music that had been such a big part of my own education. I wanted to bring this to an audience outside of the hip-hop culture. I just really wanted to somehow stir up people’s emotions with these great, ambiguous lyrics that were not only provocative but also were filled with lots of philosophy that I could relate to so well.
Your influences include not only the styles of Arabic calligraphy but also the movements used in Eastern calligraphy (Chinese, Japanese). What led you to combine these very different yet very beautiful styles?
Yes, I really did want to create a “universal” language even if that is an enormous concept.
I wanted to create a style of calligraphy that could speak to as many people as possible. Plus, it was fascinating to work with and merge these original styles even though they differed not only in their approach but also came from such different histories.
Overall, I think that is what led me to the art of calligraphy. Plus, I realized I could say something that would very accessible and that it would make sense to a lot of people. I was attracted to that because I didn’t think I needed to necessarily know or understand the basic premises that many might consider essential for artistic work. To me, calligraphy speaks in a very simple way.
I also have to confess that I have this fantastic utopian vision of a unified world, where cultures can intermingle with each other without prejudice, or where such a mixture would not ever be considered blasphemous. For me, especially in our times where it seems that the only time the West and, especially, the Middle East come face-to-face is when they’re in opposition to each other, I simply wanted to bring some aspect of these worlds together.
So I tried to gather and bring together as many aspects of the calligraphy of different cultures that had touched or influenced me that I could. I decided to combine the lightness and abstraction of Arabic calligraphy, the art of “the moment” and gestures present in Asian calligraphy – all while at the same time using my native language, French.
Still, I have started learning Arabic. Sure I want to mix my French (Latin) styles with Arabic, but it’s also something that really interests me in large part because the Arabic script lends itself so well to light calligraphy.
To be clear, are you still working with the team at Scopic? If yes, what kind of work do you do there?
My work at the event company Scopic has accompanied me since I started in calligraphy. I work with them on the organization and management of commercial, or artistic events. And sure, this work is what has allowed me to not only make a living, but to finance my creations and on-going development.
But Scopic is great. It’s a team that is made up of my closest friends, all of whom I trust completely. And it’s really important because it seems like these days about 90% of the proposals that I receive do not get realized or, in many ways, lack the seriousness needed to bring a project to completion.