FATUS, GUARICHE, RICHARD, SIMARD

On the occasion of the centenary of the birth of four major designers and interior architects of the postwar boom period in France, the Trente Glorieuses, the Pascal Cuisinier gallery—specializing in this generation—is dedicating a major exhibition to them as a tribute.

This unique retrospective devoted to four of these “young wolves” will highlight around sixty emblematic pieces from their work as designers of furniture, seating, and lighting, created in the 1950s, before their architectural careers flourished over the following three decades.

Roger Fatus was one of the most sought-after decorators among the most modern architects of the Trente Glorieuses. Claude Parent, for example, entrusted him with his manifesto house, the Villa Drusch in Versailles. He designed a few rare pieces of furniture for the publisher Sentou, as well as unique works for the Mobilier National. The gallery will present, for the first time, his rare children’s seat and, above all, his famous and highly elegant lamps for Disderot.

André Simard was a friend of Pierre Guariche, who brought him to the École des Arts Décoratifs, as well as of Pierre Paulin, with whom he collaborated until the late 1970s. He produced a series of small-edition furniture pieces, made by his cabinetmaker cousins in Mâcon, recognizable by a “signature handle.” Several remarkable examples from this series will be shown, along with a beautiful writing desk for the publisher Meubles T.V., a unique green laminate coffee table exhibited at the 1958 Salon des Arts Ménagers, a pair of coffee tables likely made as a one-off, and wall lights he designed in the 1950s, also for Pierre Disderot.

Pierre Guariche proved particularly prolific, especially in his radical lighting designs. The gallery will present for the first time three examples of his iconic piece, the G25 wall light: including the very first version produced, a unique piece with its conical cup later modified, as well as a red lacquered version of which only two examples are known worldwide. His genius will also be represented through furniture and seating, in which he excelled, including the famous Président desk, the subtle SS1 lounge chair—also unique—and many other surprises collected by Pascal Cuisinier over more than twenty years.

Finally, for Alain Richard, as a preview of the monograph the gallery is preparing on his work and the exhibition it will dedicate to him at the end of the year, a representative selection of his creations in furniture, seating, and lighting will be presented, including, as always, well-known iconic pieces as well as rare or even unique works.

This museum-quality exhibition aims to reaffirm the central role of this generation in the history of French design of the 1950s, as already highlighted last year by the publication released by Flammarion. In particular, it will demonstrate the exceptional legacy that these four creators, all born in 1926, have left to contemporary design.