Hervé Van der Straeten's beautifully realised design objects - instantly identifiable by their decorative arts bent - puts him on our go-to list for contemporary design-art. The Paris-based designer, who won a 2012 Wallpaper* Design Award for his cubist ‘Twist’ candlesticks, is now presenting his ninth showcase of furniture and objects at his gallery in the Marais.
A play on the musical term, ‘Dissonances’ is a series of pieces comprising a clash of oblique and diagonal angles, materials and forms.
To this end, a console with a bronze base of overlapping components displays a witty volumetric tension. Contrasting materials are placed with one another - resulting in the mingling of textured bronze patina and anodised aluminium, or schist and garnet. And by disharmoniously placing natural materials with electric and metallic tones, the result is a striking cacophony of colour combinations - cue the startling tortoiseshell rock tabletop held up by a bright red glossy stainless steel configuration.
Van der Straeten, who designs his collections in his own bronze and cabinet-making workshops, developed 'Dissonance' to show an interplay of tension and attraction. In this miscellany of furniture, objects, lighting and mirrors, Van der Straeten has somehow given each piece its own logic, resulting in a polyphonic spree of unique works.
'Lantern, 2012' Courtesy of Galerie Van der Straeten
'Passage Console', 2012. Courtesy of Galerie Van der Straeten
'Aurore Lighting', 2012. Courtesy of Galerie Van der Straeten
'Aurore Lighting', 2012.Courtesy of Galerie Van der Straeten
’Chaos Console’, 2012. Courtesy of Galerie Van der Straeten
Cabinet Ikebana’, 2012.Courtesy of Galerie Van der Straeten
'Buffet Bondage’, 2012.Courtesy of Galerie Van der Straeten
’Hypertension Table’, 2012. Courtesy of Galerie Van der Straeten
’Facette XL Chandelier’, 2012. Courtesy of Galerie Van der Straeten
’Inclination’, 2012.Courtesy of Galerie Van der Straeten
Van der Straeten won a Wallpaper* Design Award for these cubist 'Twist Candlesticks', 2011. Courtesy of Galerie Van der Straeten
ADDRESS
Galerie Van Der Straeten
11, rue Ferdinand Duval
75004 Paris
-
All-In is the Paris-based label making full-force fashion for main character dressingPart of our monthly Uprising series, Wallpaper* meets Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø of All-In, the LVMH Prize-nominated label which bases its collections on a riotous cast of characters – real and imagined
-
Maserati joins forces with Giorgetti for a turbo-charged relationshipAnnouncing their marriage during Milan Design Week, the brands unveiled a collection, a car and a long term commitment
-
Through an innovative new training program, Poltrona Frau aims to safeguard Italian craftThe heritage furniture manufacturer is training a new generation of leather artisans
-
Contemporary artist collective Poush takes over Château La CosteMembers of Poush have created 160 works, set in and around the grounds of Château La Coste – the art, architecture and wine estate in Provence
-
‘David Hockney 25’: inside the artist’s blockbuster Paris show‘David Hockney 25’ has opened at Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. Wallpaper’s Hannah Silver took a tour of the colossal, colourful show
-
Jack White's Third Man Records opens a Paris pop-upJack White's immaculately-branded record store will set up shop in the 9th arrondissement this weekend
-
‘The Black woman endures a gravity unlike any other’: Pharrell Williams explores diverse interpretations of femininity in ParisPharrell Williams returns to Perrotin gallery in Paris with a new group show which serves as an homage to Black women
-
What makes fashion and art such good bedfellows?There has always been a symbiosis between fashion and the art world. Here, we look at what makes the relationship such a successful one
-
Architecture, sculpture and materials: female Lithuanian artists are celebrated in NîmesThe Carré d'Art in Nîmes, France, spotlights the work of Aleksandra Kasuba and Marija Olšauskaitė, as part of a nationwide celebration of Lithuanian culture
-
Out of office: what the Wallpaper* editors have been doing this weekInvesting in quality knitwear, scouting a very special pair of earrings and dining with strangers are just some of the things keeping the Wallpaper* team occupied this week
-
Tom Wesselmann’s enduring influence on pop art goes under the spotlight in Paris‘Pop Forever, Tom Wesselmann &...’ is on view at Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris until 24 February 2025
