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Hello folks, a newbie here. I found your lovely site, thanks to a google search. Was wondering if anyone can help me with detailed information or a site, person, etc. who can educate me more on the Sermel, Papel mache factory, it’s work, history, information, etc. I’ve recently been acquiring numerous Sermel vintage papier mache pieces, painted tin and paintings.. Some lovely detailed work, that’s for sure. I am aware that it was founded in part by renowned artist Sergio Bustamante, hence the name “Ser..." . But little else is known on my end. Any information would be greatly appreciated. And if you want me to send photo’s, I would love to.
Last edited by irishcornboy (2009-02-22 13:43:01)
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Sermel, a family-owned business, was established in 1965 and has since become one of the premier Mexican manufacturers of paper-mache collectibles.
Hello Irishcornboy
Thanks for bringing this one to the Forum. I had not heard of Sermel before but have greatly enjoyed the search.
Sergio Bustamante has his own site, though it does not include papiermache. He advises us to Expect the Unexpected. His pieces are certainly extraordinary, working in bronze, ceramic and paper. You can see an example of the work on this site -
http://d-listeddecor.blogspot.com/2008/ … igned.html
To go to his own website -
http://www.sergiobustamante.com.mx/intro_eng_full.html
Unfortunately the English version of his statement is not good English but you probably get the sense of it. I'll try to get a good translation or, if you read Spanish, you will find the original on the same site.
"One of the memories that lived on my chilhood was the sensation to tbe able to fly. At the age of eleven years in the hot weather of Sinaloa and surreounded by an accumulation of fantasies, I fet that I flew transformed into a personage of my readings, obsessed by heroes and of swordfighters. Without even then imagined that, those where already splits of the creative exercise that I would dedicate my life to.
Nowadays, that I sit in my desk they are born in paper and pencil, objects nad personages that have brought between the heart and the eyes for many years (no matter how people say you always save this memories in your unconscious) memories inked of a distant past, to which I love and I sing. Painted of blurry sadnesses or memories of a recent past as sublime as receiving a kiss infront of the sea. Can you call inspriation to bring dreams from the past? Painting, drawing, or designing will be perhaps the incredibly private forms of being yourself and without a minimum of modesty to show the pearls that you ahve kept in deep inside of you? Can we call it Your Garden of the delights? Or it will be the inspiration a measureless solitude with the one that we are born?"
I hope this helps
DavidO
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Here is a proper translation -
"One of my most vivid childhood memories was having the sensation that I could fly. Since the age of eleven, in the scorching climate of Sinaloa, surrounded by an accumulation of fantasies, transformed into one of the characters in the books I was reading, I felt I was able to fly. Obsessed by heroes and dashing swordsmen, I would indulge in flights of fancy, without at the time being able to even suppose that already it formed part of the exercise of creativity to which I would dedicate myself in later life. Nowadays, when I sit at my work-table, there before my eyes, with pencil and paper, I see come to life the objects and characters I have carried in my heart and in my mind’s eye for many years (forget what they say about such images stored in the subconscious, being but blurred memories of a recent past as sublime as a kiss beside the sea.)
Can retrieving such dreams from the past then be described as inspiration? Can painting, drawing, designing such incredibly intimate personal recollections, configured as pearls that you have concealed in the depths of your being and that you can now make public without the slightest trace of modesty, be the real you?
Can we call it your garden of delights? Or could inspiration be the immeasurable solitude with which we are born? "
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Thanks David, so much for that! Yes, I am very famil with Sergio's work and have seen many pieces in person. I only own a small hand-painted copper/brass bird edition. Can't afford his larger mache pieces. I just sent Jackie aseries of emails containing photo's of my Semel/Mexican Papel Mache pieces.
*for more info on current day Sermel, head here (Of course, it's in Spanish):
www.sermel.com.mx/
Last edited by irishcornboy (2009-03-05 03:05:00)
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Kevin's (Irishcornboy's) collection is now up on this site: http://www.papiermache.co.uk/articles/s … ier-mache/
The decoration on all the Sermel pieces is delightful. The whole collection together must look stunning. Thanks for sharing them with us.
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Be warned! my friends just because Sergio Bustamante founded Sermel, doesn't mean the piece was created or painted by him. Hence the huge price value for Sermel versus a Bustamante. I think my post/article may have been misleading in that I didn't elaborate on the issue of many artists (employees) worked for Sermel. There is almost no way in proving that this particular piece (or that one) was made by Sergio. or Mel, for that matter.
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Jackie: I would love to see the newly posted photos of the sermel paper mache pieces; however, clicking on the link does not work, at least for me, and I can't find them elsewhere. Thanks and best regards, David.
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David, the link doesn't work for me, either.
Just go up to the top of this page and click on 'Articles' in the black box under the title, and it's the second one.
Sue
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Sorry about that....don't know what happened there!
It should work now. Let me know if it doesn't.
http://www.papiermache.co.uk/articles/s … ier-mache/
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