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| André Sornay |
He was influenced by the Bauhaus and the Stijl movements, both of which were characterized by the belief in a synthesis of art and architecture, and counted among his peers celebrated architects and designers such as Le Corbusier, Pierre Chareau, Francis Jourdain, Jean Prouvé, Eileen Gray, and Charlotte Perriand, all members of the French Union of Modern Artists (U.A. M.), a group formed in the late 1920s in reaction to the prevailing conservative design aesthetic.
Sornay's designs are geometric, harmonious and practical. His materials include precious woods, Permatex, rubber, lacquer and metal. He registered his first patent in 1932 for a new assembly technique called cloutage, which involved attaching veneer to a piece with nails, which became an element of decoration and, eventually, one of his trademarks.
André Sornay primarily exhibited his work at art fairs in Lyon, although he did take part in two Parisian exhibitions. In 1925, at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs Industriels et Modernes his work was considered too avant garde. Twelve years later, however, he was awarded the bronze medal for his personal study at the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne. |
From galeriemarcelpoil.com and centerpompidoufoundation.org
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| Early Permatex chest, 1930s 1stdibs.com |
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| Bar/cabinet, 1950s 1stdibs.com |
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| Cabinet, 1950s 20th-century.eu |
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| Armchair, 1950s 1stdibs.com |
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| Lounge chairs, 1950s phillipsdepury.com |
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| Table lamps, 1950s mutualarts.com |
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| Lounge chairs, 1950s 1stdibs.com |
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| Panel screen, 1950s 1stdibs.com |
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| Helicoidal lamp, 1950s 1stdibs.com |
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| Armchairs, 1950s 1stdibs.com |
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| Dining chairs, 1950s 1stdibs.com |
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| Palisander desk and chair, 1960s alanmossny.com |
Thanks for sharing this designer with us. I don't think I have ever heard of him before.
ReplyDeleteThe Palisander desk and chair are a dream.
ReplyDelete@DearHelenHartman: I know...I love that floating top! What amazes me most is that he was confident enough to take over his father's business at age 17 and take it in a new direction. Going from period reproductions to some of the wild stuff he did early in his career was pretty daring for someone that young.
ReplyDeletecouldnt decide which piece won me over ...all of them specially the desk is to die for
ReplyDelete@Sudha: The desk is beautiful, and I love the white lounge chairs too!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this, you made a Sornay fan out of me.
ReplyDelete