From April 1994 to April 2003
At the FIA (subsidiary, of the A. Augis firm in Lyons), I worked as an engraver and I was in charge of the engraving workshop. In april 1994, I left the capital and headed for Lyons to take Mr Jean Redon’s position who was about to retire; he was 60 and I was 25. We only had two months to see each other, that was too short –but this how it goes nowadays.
During nine years, I’ve taken part with Michel Rocci, engraver, in the design and making of over 5.000 dies (obverse and reverse):
– the medals ‘Passage à l’an 2000’, ‘L’Assemblée Nationale’, le porte-avions ‘Charles-de-Gaulle’, etc.
– temporary Euro medals for cities: ‘Saint-Pierre d’Oléron’ (awarded Best Euro in the year 1996-97, ‘the Centennial of the Basilique de Fourvière – Lyons’, etc.
While at the FIA, I met Claude Gardot, an engraver and medal maker, Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 1972, whose brother was Jean Gardot, sculptor and academician. He was hired by the FIA to design and make exceptional medals; I remember the medal for the President Jacques Chirac, temporary Euro medals for cities, the Bethune medal and many others. When he would show his engravings, I was feasting my eyes on the subtlety of his work, the quality of his modeling skills, the details and the textures. He was definitely an example and a role model. Thank you, Claude.