Design Miami/Basel

For this 2016 edition of Design Miami Basel, Gallery Pascal Cuisinier will present the second part of its exhibition « French Collection 1950 ». The first part, whichfocused on the years 1950 – 1955, was shown at Design Miami 2014. This time, the show will cover the period of 1955 – 1960.

The 1950’s are for France one of these prosperous periods, if not a peak, particularly in creation areas. The post WW2 years of economic growth supportedinnovation in many fields. This is the time of Camus and Sartre, of Simone de Beauvoir and Marguerite Duras, Edith Piaf and Brassens, Brigitte Bardot and Alain Delon. These are the years when Godart andTruffaut started their career, and the timeof glory for Picasso, Dali and Giacometti. France is at its cultural and artistic apex.

This context of artistic emulation gave birth in Paris to a new ambitious generation of interior decorators, freshly graduated from schools. Solange Gorse, chief editor for « Maison Francaise » will call them « the young wolves » and will never stop following them and supporting their creations. They will set out the creation principles of mass production models for what is called today «design».

This generation will create new forms dedicated to new production technics. They will invent the furniture, lights and seats of modern living. Their innovations, forms and intelligence of creation will be a source of inspiration for the entire second part of the twentieth century.

That is this young energy of creation that the Gallery wants to promote with this exhibition. From a stylistic point of view, French design in the early 1950s, was mainly based on the use of black lacquered tubular base, simple forms accentuated by a beautiful veneer, and traditional mounting systems.

During the second half of the 1950s it evolved and became more precious.

Creators remain the same, as well as their creation principles (minimalistic forms, proportional precision, purity of lines). But they reinvent a certain French chic and elegance.

The architecture of their furniture, seats and lights avoids any mannered preciosity. Thanks to their knowledge of tradition and their taste for modernity, they will achieve proportion perfection and sobriety – both very new and timeless at the same time.