James Bouillé

James Bouillé (February 14, 1894 - June 22 1945), was a French architect based in Brittany.

Biography

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He was one of the founders in 1923 of the artistic movement Seiz Breur, along with with Jeanne Malivel and René-Yves Creston. His aim was to revitalise Breton sacred art: crosses, votive objects and traditional crafts. He also designed and supported pottery, ceramics, embroidery and cabinetmaking. Between 1924 and 1935, he was an architect in Perros-Guirec, where he developed a successful practice building holiday villas.

In 1929 he founded with Xavier de Langlais "An Droellen", a workshop of Breton Christian art. The duo worked closely together on a number of projects, including the college chapel of St. Joseph in Lannion. The workshop includes among its members Mlle Ménard (glazier), Madame Planiol (restoration of priestly vestments) and Jules-Charles Le Bozec (sculptor).

In the late 1930s Bouillé created the Chapel of Koat-Keo in Scrignac (Finistère), built at the initiative of his friend Abbot Jean-Marie Perrot, founder of the Breton Catholic youth organization Bleun-Brug, which promoted traditional Breton culture. The chapel is seen as a significant attempt to create a distinctive modern Breton sacred architecture. [ [http://www.culture.gouv.fr/public/mistral/merimee_fr?ACTION=CHERCHER&FIELD_98=INSEE&VALUE_98=29275 Ministry of Culture, Merimée. Monuments historiques: Chapelle de Koat-Keo] ]

During the World War II, Perrot and Breun-Blug were suspected of collaborationist activity. In 1941, Bouillé was made director of Bleun-Brug and sat on the Advisory Committee of Brittany, as its representative. The Committee was seen by resistance activists as part of the collaborationist régime. At this time he advocated a radical plan to build a new Breton city like a "Celtic Brasilia" on the shores of Lake Guerlédan. [Hervé Le Boterf, Brittany in the war, Volume 3, p. 320] Due to his association with Perrot and the committee, he was interned after the Liberation of France. He died in 1945, as a result of his internment.

In Brittany, at least nine streets bear his name. ["Les Noms qui ont fait l'histoire de Bretagne", Coop Breizh et Institut culturel de Bretagne, 1997]

Major buildings

*1933: holiday home, known as Kelenn, 18 chemin de Quo-Vadis, subdivision of Tourony-plage at Tégastel
*1936-1937: Chapelle de l'Institution Saint-Joseph (in fact Saint-Joseph college) in Lannion
*1937: Chapel Koat-Keo at Scrignac, created for the Abbot Perrot, with sculptures by Jules-Charles Le Bozec. (This building was designated as a Monument historique in 1997).
*1938: Extension to the chapelle de Ploumanac'h, commune de Perros-Guirec 1938
*1939: maison de villégiature (holiday home), known as Avel Dro, 2 rue du Belvédère à Trestrignel, commune de Perros-Guirec.

Publications

* "Sketla Segobrani. 3 levr moulet e ti" René Prud'homme. Saint-Brieuc, (1923), 3 volumes (with François Vallée, Meven Mordiern, Émile Ernault)
* "Sketla segobrani kenta nevrenn: dis atir, teutatis". Prud'homme - Saint-Brieuc (1923).
* "Sketla segobrani eil kevrenn: trede levr: lugus". Prud'homme - Saint-Brieuc (1923).
* "De l'art celtique et de l'utilité de son étude pour la création d'un art breton moderne". Buhez Breiz - Quimper (1924). Paper delivered at the congress of Bleun Brug at Lesneven l12 September 1923.
* "L'art en Bretagne". Éditions de Buhez Breiz (1924). Paper delivered at the Panceltic Congress, Quimper, 9 September 1924.
* "Sketla segobrani pevare [trede] kevrenn: tanaris, esus". Prud'homme - Saint-Brieuc (1925).
* "Habitation bretonne". Massin Ch. et Cie - Paris (1926). The Regional Art of France
* "L'architecture bretonne moderne". Éditions Romanance - Paris (1936).

References

Bibliography

"Audaces et hésitations d'un militant: James Bouillé", Pierre Mardaga - Liege. 1986.

Catalogue of the exhibition: "Modernité et régionalisme: Bretagne : 1918 - 1945".