TAKE A BUTCHERS
29.09.09
Yesterday was the beginning of Invitations d’artistes. I arrived at Madame Noel’s Butcher shop at 8am where I met the lady herself, her husband Michel and their son Eric. I did a lot of filming in the first two hours, Monday is the day to prepare meat for the rest of the week, Many sights and smells were caught by my camera, including the sharpening of knives and whole animal carcasses hanging from meat hooks.
There was a second room I was led into which held a walk in refrigerator. Inside of it hung a huge husk of meat hung, I think it was a part of a bull. Eric, one of the butchers got to work, armed with a knife various chopping tools. As I filmed it was like watching a sculptor carving a piece of stone, quite astonishing.
After a few communication problems the butchers were happy for me to help. I was given sections of meat where the skin and fat needed to be removed. This is an art in itself and I had to quickly learn to respect the knife. I have never come across a knife quite so sharp, my fingers have the war wounds to prove it.
