An essential figure of the PAD, with its furniture from the 1950s, which has become iconic, François Laffanour also declines in him this taste, by breeching him with contemporary art and fantasy.
Above all, don't take it all too seriously...François Laffanour often repeats this formula and this is what presided over the decoration of his new Parisian apartment.Amateurs will understand why: the furniture offered by the merchant in his gallery as on his PAD stand, of which he is a major player, continues to break records.Charlotte Perriand, Jean Prouvé, Pierre Jeanneret, Jean Royère, as many names that resonate like trophies, icons in the history of decorative arts as famous today as the stars of the 20th century stars.
"A craze has led to the other, it was the collectors of contemporary art who have passionate about these furniture and have flown down the prices.But in front of this phenomenon, which he admits to be very happy, François Laffanour keeps his head cold."I opened my gallery rue de Seine in 1982.I made the first exhibition dedicated to Jean Royère a year later.I showed Jean Prouvé in 1985.I knew Charlotte Perriand.I have been defending these creators for forty years.I was lucky and the taste for buying when it was not worth expensive.With some, we have created this market and so much the better if the time for recognition has come, but no question of living as in a museum.»»
Démonstration dans son salon avec le célèbre canapé « Ours polaire»» de Jean Royère, dont l'assise témoigne d'une fréquentation assidue.Should we remember that a similar model was sold 980,000 euros last November at Christie's?"I sold one to a client who prohibited his children from sitting on it...»» Ce n'est pas le genre de la maison, où l'on aime recevoir.Ditto for the stools of Charlotte Perriand, Pierre Chareau and Jean Prouvé."When you make evenings, everyone uses them.It's my luxury.»» Une décontraction très séduisante qui a aussi une autre raison : « Certains collectionneurs pensent que ce genre de mobilier impose des décors dépouillés, une mise en scène minimaliste.On the contrary, I try to marry it with color, gaiety, a touch of humor.I always liked to mix things, rigor and fantasy.»» Pour preuve, cette femme sculpturale et voluptueuse d'Allen Jones, ces « Signaux»» de Takis ou ces boules en verre coloré rapportées du Mexique.
In the dining room where another museum room sits, the table of the student's household library in Paris, produced by Charlotte Perriand and Jean Prouvé, a female silhouette by Daniel Firman, disturbing of realism, is supported against awall.Guaranteed. « Elle s'appelle Laurie»», glisse François avec un air malicieux.A large glass cup of Ettore Sottsass, a Jeanneret stone table designed for Chandigarh's hospital and Charlotte Perriand straw chairs sign kitchen not quite like the others.But on the wall, next to a work by Richard Prince and an Andrea Branzi lamp, a Swiss cuckoo reported from Zermatt blurs the slopes."Someone said to me one day: Dear friend, who is this work?"It made me smile.»»
Soakers too, these electric guitars that we discover over the parts.Subliminal presence of the one who shares François's life, Alexandra Roos. Après avoir mené une carrière de chanteuse et de musicienne, elle a créé avec sa mère, experte en la matière, une marque de parfums, Roos & Roos, avec des fragrances au nom comme des titres de chanson : Sympathy for the Sun, Pale Blue Eyes, A Capella, Song for a Queen... Mais Alexandra n'a pas pour autant renoncé à sa première passion, qui a réveillé celle de François ! « Adolescent, je faisais partie d'un groupe de rock, mais on a chacun son style : je joue sur une Gibson et Alexandra sur une mythique Fender Stratocaster !»» Dans le bureau, à côté des tabourets de George Nakashima, l'ampli est prêt à être branché.On the wall, a large canvas by Martin Borowski, bought in New York, testifies to the very sharp curiosity of the merchant.This interest in contemporary art is just as old as that for design.Allen Jones' sculpture, like those of Nam June Paik and Jean-Pierre Raynaud, Takis or the Neons of Jenny Holzer have been following him for years.
More recently, François Laffanour has acquired a work by Richard Serra.A trophy like her collectors like... « Je suis sensible à sa sculpture et j'adorerais en avoir une à la campagne !»» Il éclate de rire."More seriously, it is an international artist who became a classic and I was delighted when I had the opportunity to acquire this play.»» Mais ne pas croire à une quelconque idée de spéculation, tout marchand qu'il est. Car il parle avec le même enthousiasme de l'artiste James Brown - « Je ne suis pas certain de ne pas le préférer à Basquiat»» - ou du tableau surréaliste de Marlène Mocquet qu'il a accroché au-dessus de son lit et qui détonne un peu avec le fauteuil de Jeanneret et les tables de Noguchi.Without forgetting his new recruit, the artist Richard Texier, whom he exhibited in 2019 and whose bronze candlestier decorated with fish stands on a table, in the entrance, next to a small lamp of Serge Mouille.The shock of opposites."His poetry touches me.Unlike what you might think, I also like things that are not radical, artists' furniture like Diego Giacometti or Lalanne.I would love to have a mirror or a great candelabrum from Claude.»» Un aveu qu'on aurait eu du mal à imaginer avant de visiter cet appartement.But François Laffanour knows how to cohabite the signs and the baroque, the seriousness and the wink, the beautiful and the useful."I am not a collector, I simply live surrounded by works bought by Crowd, hence this eclecticism.I am sensitive to the creativity of each and I find that they do not compete with each other but that they respond, the energy of each artist energizes the apartment.»» Et surtout ne pas prendre tout cela trop au sérieux...
Eric JansenÀ lire aussi sur SLAll rights reserved - Les Echos 2020
