“New Forms of French Modernity” at Demisch Danant, New York

Demisch Danant in New York is hosting an exhibition featuring the influential work of Jacques Dumond and Joseph-Andre Motte in the 1950s and early 1960s and their exploration of new materials in post-war society.Demisch Danant in New York hosts “New Forms of French Modernity” featuring the influential work of Jacques Dumond and Joseph-Andre Motte, on view through October 27, 2018.According to the gallery, the continuance of modernity in France after World War II was promoted by a generation of designers through Minimalist style and a proposal of a new postwar lifestyle after the Reconstruction; ornament was rejected in order to support the most simple and efficient concepts in furniture.Jacques Dumond is considered a leader of the French Modernist Movement—exemplifying Minimalism, Functionalism, and a reduc­tive approach towards ornamentation. As an educator, he exerted a tremen­dous influence on the next generation of young designers.Working often for private clients, Dumond’s deep knowledge of fine craftsmanship, elegant understanding of color and proportion, and experimentation with materials are signature elements of his originality.He influenced a generation of young designers cultivating their talents by employing them in his studio, provoking them as a professor at Ecole Camondo and the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs, and serving as vice president of Societe des Artistes Decorateurs.“Joseph-Andre Motte is one of the most substantial postwar French Modern designers. Motte remains a feature of everyday French life through his large-scale designs of public spaces throughout the country. His works cascade through venues as regal as the Louvre and as quotidian as the Parisian metro,” the gallery says.A figurehead of the French Modern Movement, Motte was frequently com­missioned by the French administration to participate in grand public projects including the interiors of hundreds of metro stations in Paris — his chairs re­maining functional pinnacles of Parisian life throughout the subway stations.Motte experimented widely with wood, stainless steel, Formica, and plastics. The variety of these materials reflected a desire to humanize the spaces he worked in, particularly as the use of concrete and other typically cold sub­stances became fashionable in architecture.According to the gallery, Motte’s work represents the intersection of beauty and functionality in the face of an industrial society.The exhibition is on view through October 27, 2018 at Demisch Danant, 30 W, 12th St, New York, USA.For details, visit: http://www.demischdanant.com/Click on the slideshow for a sneak peek at the exhibition.              http://www.blouinartinfo.com/                              Founder: Louise Blouin