Jean Prouve

This exquisitely produced and comprehensive slipcased publication, edited by Paris' Galerie Patrick Seguin, is a new and enlarged edition of the original two-volume Jean Prouv monograph that was published in 2007 to fill a hole in the previously existing scholarship, most of which had focused on Prouvé 's architecture. Featuring a redesigned cover and graphics, it adds presentations of each house exhibited by Galerie Patrick Seguin (with archival images, plans and contemporary photos); an show more expanded selection of private international collections with photography of Prouvé furniture; and a catalog of Prouvé exhibitions organized by Galerie Patrick Seguin from 1990 to 2016. Also included (from the original edition) are a collection of interviews with collectors and design professionals; a detailed biography of Prouvé by his daughter, Catherine Prouvé ; and essays by design historian Raymond Guidot and architecture historian Catherine Coley. Today the oeuvre of Prouvé is considered essential to the history of 20th-century design. Prouvé 's furniture designs were determined by the interior spaces the pieces would inhabit, and they were developed in tandem with the modernist principles of the "art of living" and "harmonious habitat" that were so characteristic of the time. This volume celebrates the unity of his brilliant vision. show less

Aluminum and machine aesthetics: the entire Prouvé vision, from furniture to architecture

The esteemed collectors Laurence and Patrick Seguin first discovered the work of Jean Prouvé in the late 1980s, and were quick to embrace his entire aesthetic vision, from architectural design to furniture. "There is no difference between constructing a piece of furniture and constructing a building," Prouvé once famously said, and the Seguins have modeled their collection around his stance, becoming show more major advocates and disseminators of his work in France. This gorgeously produced volume, which presents the Seguins' Prouvé collection for the first time, consequently provides a comprehensive overview of their holdings. An entire chapter is devoted to Prouvé works at the Seguins' Paris residence. Other sections include an examination of Prouvé's relevance to contemporary art; a chapter on Prouvé's Aluminum Métropole House, a structure that exemplifies the brilliance of Prouvé's architectural work; and a survey of around 40 pieces, most of which are prototypes or rarities, from the armchair designed for the University of Nancy in 1932, to the light armchair created for the University of Antony in 1954, to the African furniture. These are supplemented by archival documents (sketches, models, photographs, etc. and detailed analysis. Also included is a wealth of photo-documentation of the exhibition this volume accompanies, held at the famous former Fiat building in Turin, Italy--once described by Le Corbusier as "one of the most impressive sights in industry" and recently rebuilt into a modern shopping/cultural complex by Renzo Piano, a longstanding admirer of Prouvé.

Equally admired for his work in furniture, metalwork and architecture, Jean Prouvé (1901-1984) is one of the most influential designers of the early modern design movement. His innovative chairs, desks, lamps and shelves have long been collector's items. show less