Book Description
In 1927, the French designer Charlotte Perriand—then only twenty-four years old—won instant acclaim for her design for the "Bar sous le toit" (bar in the garret), shown at the Salon d'Automne in Paris. The project brought her to the attention of Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, who asked Perriand to join their atelier. There she was put in charge of the furniture and fittings program and worked on such legendary designs as the sculptural "chaise lounge," the "grand confort" chair, and the "fauteuil à dossier basculant" (sling chair). Her autobiography, "Charlotte Perriand: A Life of Creation"—published in France in 1998—is the first mahor English-language volume on her career and personal history. In addition to her association with Le Corbusier, Perrieand recounts her experiences in Russia, the Far East, and South America; she also discusses the projects she worked on after leaving Le Corbusier's atelier in 1937, ranging from a vast ski resort at Les Arcs to the "espace thé" (tea area) in the UNESCO garden in Paris. Perriand's fascinating memoir is unique not only in its firsthand depiction of the goals and tenets of the heroic period of modern architecture but also in its portrayal of a century of life in Paris.
About the Author
Carlotte Perriand was born in Paris in 1903. She worked as an architect and designer, both on her won and in collaboration with many leading architects of the modern movement, including Le Corbusier, PIerre Jeanneret, Jean Prouvé, and Paul Nelson. Perriand died in 1999.
Charlotte Perriand: A Life of Creation FROM THE PUBLISHER
"French designer Charlotte Perriand had quite a lifetime to remember. From the very beginning of her career, Perriand was celebrated as one of the most exceptional talents of her generation - not to mention one of the "prettiest," as journalists of the time couldn't help noting." "Perriand's capacity to conceive and execute the most ambitious of interiors projects (among them, the vast French ski resort at Les Arcs and the "espace the" in the UNESCO garden in Paris) was matched only by her capacity for friendship. Among her wide circle of intimate friends were some of the most innovative artists and designers of the twentieth century: Jean Prouve, Fernand Leger, Jose Luis Sert, Pablo Picasso, Walter Gropius, Sori Yanagi, Pierre Jeanneret, and, of course, Le Corbusier. Illustrated with dozens of her own photographs, Perriand's fascinating memoir documents her personal and professional relationships as well as her experiences in Russia, South America, and particularly the Far East, where she discovered an affinity for forms that profoundly influenced her work." When Charlotte Perriand died in 1999 at the age of ninety-six, she left behind not only a legacy of design known for its beauty and integrity, but also her own story - a firsthand account of the birth of the modern movement. It is a story that charts the arc of a life and the arc of the twentieth century itself.
Art & Photography
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