WAITING FOR IDEAS & ENZO LEFORT
BEHIND THE CREATIVE STUDIO WAITING FOR IDEAS IS THE DESIGNER JEAN-BAPTISTE ANOTIN. HE WAS AT STUDIO COLTESSE TO PRESENT HIS LATEST CREATION: SELF REFLECTION. THE OPPORTUNITY TO INVITE THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY ENZO LEFORT AND HIS PHOTOGRAPHER'S CAP TO IMMORTALIZE THE MEETING IN THE COURTYARD OF LA CASERNE WHERE OUR STUDIOS ARE LOCATED.
CAN YOU PRESENT US THIS PIECE ? ON AN INSPIRATIONAL AND TECHNICAL LEVEL
This piece is called Self Reflection. It is an armchair that I designed during the first lockdown. There is this idea of pause that was "offered" to us for some and reflection on oneself through the mirror aspect. And also the illusion that everything can be explained, that everything is coherent and that everything fits together logically through the assembly of its plates.
I relied on different references for Self Reflection. Starting with Marcel Breuer's Wassily armchair, which I like very much, with its raw and architectural aspect. I also used the same angle for the seat. A little more atypical: The NeXTcube, the computer launched by Steve Jobs after his ousting from Apple. At first sight it is a simple cube, but the angles are not at 90 degrees. We find the same principle on this chair: the side plates have a slight inclination towards the back. The holes are both functional, they allow to manipulate the plates, and aesthetic. It brings a lightness and the play of shadows is very interesting. Many people asked me if it was a brass knuckle, but the ambition was much more pacifist!
THE RESULT IS VERY "CLEAN", EVEN CLINICAL, BUT WE CAN FEEL THE WORK OF THE HAND THAT WE PARTICULARLY LIKE AT COLTESSE. CAN YOU TELL US MORE?
To make this piece, I work with 4 different factories in France. A first one cuts the plates, a second one takes back some angles, a third one comes to polish until obtaining this mirror effect. During one week, a person sands each plate using a finer grain (sanding paper) at each passage. It's a very technical and patient job. If you go down too quickly in the grains, there is a good chance that there are traces and that you have to start again. And finally, a last factory comes to dip the plates one by one in nickel baths to ensure durability.
The piece seems simple at first glance but it requires a lot of handling. Especially since I worked the chair with very precise angles so that each plate would fit properly and the chair would be stable on its own.
WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO MINIMALISM? IN YOUR CREATIONS OR IN YOUR DAILY LIFE
It represents everything I love. Beauty is most intense in minimalist things. The work that has to be done to achieve a harmonious piece with character takes time and a lot of research. You have to dig deep to realize the complexity of the exercise and that's what I like. For example, on Self Reflection, the bottom plate brings character to the piece, but it is also there to support the weight of the person who comes to sit. It's this mix that makes the exercise interesting.
Photo credits: Enzo Lefort
Design: Waiting For Ideas
