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Charlotte Perriand
Born: October 24, 1903.\ Death: October 27, 1999.\ Known works: Potence lamp.\ Education: Designer from the Danish Design School.
Her multidisciplinary art and architecture, which included everything from furniture design to large-scale ski resorts, placed her among some of the most revolutionary designers of the late 20s and 30s and made her one of the most influential designers of the 20th century. Although she never achieved the recognition that her fellow partners Le Corbusier and Le Corbusier's cousin, Pierre Jeanneret, did, the three designers were like three fingers on one hand in Le Corbusier's studio - and when she finally stepped out of the Swiss designer's shadow, she forged a unique, independent career.
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"We don't embroider cushions here, ma'am"
Charlotte Perriand was born in Paris and was the daughter of a tailor and a seamstress. A natural at drawing, she enrolled in the École de L'Union Centrale des Arts Décoratifs at a young age, where she studied furniture design until 1925 and where she was taught by Art Deco legend Henri Rapin, among others.
That's why she was so drawn to Swiss designer and ornament killer Le Corbusier, who proudly stated that the home was a machine to live in and that architecture is about putting things in order. He was rigid and spearheaded the counter-movement against the ornate and lavishness that characterized Art Nouveau.
Shortly after completing her training, Charlotte Perriand had created the exhibition Bar sous le Toit for the Salon d'Automne in 1927, which consisted of shiny aluminum and nickel-plated objects that made up a large bar, tables, shelves and chairs with leather cushions. The exhibition referenced the machine age, and Perriand's use of metals set her apart from her contemporaries' love of ornate and handmade wooden products - but although the exhibition was a success, she was not satisfied. Charlotte Perriand wanted to create products that were not just for the rich, but for everyone.
Perriand had a great desire to work for Le Corbusier because she had read his books, but when she applied for a job with him that same year, she was rejected with the famous words from Corbusier himself: "We don't embroider cushions here, ma'am."
The era of Le Corbusier (1927-1937)
When Le Corbusier visited Bar sous le Toit, it became clear to him that he had been mistaken about the young, female French designer - and Charlotte Perriand was offered work in his studio.
"Like three fingers on one hand" said Charlotte Perriand herself about the collaboration with the Swiss designer and his cousin, Pierre Jeanneret, and the three worked closely together both creatively and practically. Perriand took many notes from the Swiss master, but conversely, Le Corbusier also learned a lot from Perriand. She shared Corbusier's idea that lamps are not decorative elements without cause, but rather functional and technical tools in the home: useful forms. She was definitely an architect before a designer. But at the same time, she was a great advocate of movement, and her furniture is typically characterized by lots of movable joints.
A fantastic lamp example of Perriand's drawings under the wings of the "crow", as Le Corbusier called himself, is the beautiful Applique Cylindrique wall light. Designed for her mountain cabin Le Vieux Matelot in the 1930s, the lamp shows her early interest in the moving shades, but also her early understanding of good light. The lamp dims easily with a simple touch of the screen and the light can be pointed right where you need it.
Potence Pivotante and the time of Jean Prouvé and Japan
When Charlotte Perriand stepped out of Corbusier's shadow and into her own successful career, as the New York Times wrote at the time, she began working with Jean Prouvé. Prouvé, like Perriand himself, was fond of metal - and you can feel the collaboration between the two when you look at both Perriand's lamps and Prouvé's lamps.
During the war, they designed two barracks and furniture for temporary houses, but when France surrendered to the Axis powers in 1940, Perriand traveled to Japan. Here she was a consultant, helping the Japanese Ministry of Trade and Industry. Around the end of the war, Perriand was forced to go into exile in Vietnam, where she read about Asian woodworking and braiding, which sparked an interest in her and made her look towards natural materials again.
A fantastic lamp example of Perriand's time with Jean Prouvé is the beautiful Potence Pivotante, which, just like the previous example, uses movement in the design. Perriand designed the lamp in 1939 just before leaving the country - and if you know Jean Prouvé's Potence, which was first designed in 1950, there is no doubt that you see the similarity between the two - but Charlotte Perriand's version is the original.
Post-war, Charlotte Perriand's heyday and Pivotante á Poser
Large, impressive ski resorts, the League of Nations UN Building and Air France offices in London, Paris and Tokyo. These are just some of the flagships that Charlotte Perriand designed after she returned to France. She worked with Jean Prouvé again throughout the 1950s, and Perriand and Le Corbusier's paths crossed again when she designed the kitchens of the iconic Unité D'habitation.
A wonderful lamp that Charlotte Perriand created during this time was the enormously beautiful Pivotante á Poser. Once again, movement is a theme that is felt throughout the lamp, and like a stage curtain, the metal shade can be pulled to the side to reveal the exposed light source - exposed light sources were also a feature of Le Corbusier's interiors during this time - and the cord can be used to turn the lamp on and off. The small shape allows you to easily move it around and use it wherever you want.
Charlotte Perriand continued to create for the rest of her life, leaving behind a wide range of furniture, lamps and buildings.We've tried to go through her life from above, but we've only scratched the surface. There are plenty of places to learn more about her, including her autobiography Une Vie de Création. We hope we've sparked your interest.
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