Incollect Magazine - Issue 14

80 www.incollect.com frame to retain that same sense of movement, something that felt alive and never static.” The technical challenge for her was thus how to create a meandering detail that would remain varied and visually engaging over the entire surface. She began by molding wax fragments of thistle leaves, creating a range of motifs that were all slightly different yet harmonious. “I reproduced enough of these wax elements to cover the full length of the mirror frame, then rearranged them repeatedly until I was satisfied with the balance and coherence, and the overall rhythm felt right. At times, certain sections became too repetitive, so I would dismantle and recompose them.” Once the composition was resolved, the mirror frame was cut into quarters, and each section was sand cast. Because sand casting softens the edges, extensive chiseling of the edges was then required to restore sharpness and definition. The elements were mounted together, and a patina chosen. Each design presents its own challenges. The Gabrielle bench, for example, required extensive hand sculpting to achieve the taut, dynamic curvature Millot wanted. For the Gabrielle console, she focused on attaining the exact rounded edges for the ends which she had envisioned. “This involved pushing the material in the production process until it aligned precisely with the form I imagined,” she explains. The smaller Link side tables combine a smooth and polished top with ribbon-like linking leg elements between the curved base and the surface. The ribbons were made using the lost wax technique while the base and top were done with sand casting before assemblage. Millot admits she is a perfectionist, and nothing leaves her studio until she is satisfied with it. That is why she likes exhibiting with art above “Gabrielle” Console Table, 2023, in bronze with a printed shagreen top below “Pouf” Stool, 2020. Polished bronze, pair available