In 2006 Julien Lombrail, originally from Bordeaux, and Loïc Le Gaillard, originally from Paris, opened a gallery for collectible contemporary design in a former carpenter’s workshop in London’s Chelsea. A lot has happened since. With locations in London, Paris, and New York, and long-term collaborations with established international design stars such as Atelier Van Lieshout, Maarten Baas, Wendell Castle, Nendo, Random International, and Studio Job, Lombrail and Gaillard have established their gallery as one of the international top players for high-end artistic design, fought off the financial crisis of 2007 to 20o8, and continue building careers for the artists they represent.BLOUIN ARTINFO caught up with the duo to talk about the past, the future, and their anniversary exhibition on view through December 2016 in Paris. You are celebrating the 10th anniversary of Carpenters Workshop this winter. What does it mean to you personally?Loïc Le Gaillard: In terms of the business itself it doesn’t make much of a difference, but inevitably 10 years is a milestone. It’s interesting to look back and see how time has flown so quickly. I still remember the early days, when Julien and I were setting up the gallery, trying to get people in. All these memories feel like yesterday. We’ve gone through the years quite successfully, especially during the two financial crises. We actually had the vision to be aggressive in our investments, which I guess you can only be when you have nothing to lose. Julien and I started ten years ago with literally nothing.Julien Lombrail: It was only the two of us then. Loïc and I and a garage in the back of Chelsea and that’s it. And now we’re 60 people. To be honest, I still don’t understand how we did it, and I have to pinch myself when I see it.The market for collectible design has changed a lot since you opened in 2006. How have you experienced this development?Loïc Le Gaillard: Ten years ago there wasn’t really any market. Most of the players were antique dealers trying to stretch the business into the contemporary field. This notion and concept of collectible design was something new indeed.Julien Lombrail: That’s one of the key elements for us, I think: that we were a new generation. When we started ten years ago, the artistic scene was very weak. That’s why we went to the schools, the Eindhoven Academy, but also the Royal College of Arts, London, where we discovered young students and had the luck that this generation became the important artists of today.Loïc Le Gaillard: On top of that, the market has become very capitalistic. I guess it would be almost impossible to do and achieve in the next ten years what we’ve achieved in the past, to open a gallery today, with all the costs, including rents, having become so high. We’re in an industry which requires producing pieces, and as the market is growing, we have to invest much more now than five or ten years ago.Julien Lombrail: The production of pieces, which is key in our business, is a real challenge. That’s why we also decided to invest into a workshop. We have one with 90,000 square feet and hired 20 of the best handcraft experts, all officially employed in France. This is necessary to achieve a high, high standard of quality, which in return is the reason, why such pieces are increasingly in demand with important collectors.You have just moved into a new, much larger space in London. Are you worried about the implications the Brexit vote may have? There are many concerns voiced in the UK design scene at the moment.Julien Lombrail: No, because we think that the Brexit will increase the number of wealthy people in London. We think that London will become the main city of Europe, which will actually help us.Loïc Le Gaillard: When you focus on the very high end of the market and keep doing your job seriously, people with money will always be there. And we’re not selling Picasso at $200 million or $300 million. Though our pieces are costly, we’re not expensive in relation to the top prices on the market. And our clients are the people who are buying the Picasso at $200 million. It’s quite fascinating to see that today you can buy the most extraordinary piece of design from the most talented design generation and the maximum prices you will probably pay is $200,000 to $250,000. So even the most exceptional design pieces are relatively affordable in comparison to the extraordinary pieces of contemporary art.No qualms with the Brexit then?Loïc Le Gaillard: I’ve been in the UK for 24 years, and on a personal level the Brexit vote made me very sad, I’m upset because I know how much the European and continental influence has been appreciated in London and has made London, and I think the UK, a better place. We’re not going to get into any political discussion, but I think England, I wouldn’t say London, but England will pay a dear price for this.Julien Lombrail: Personally, I’m also very sorry for the idea of Europe, which is a great idea. The Brexit will make everything more difficult.Let’s talk about your anniversary exhibition in Paris. You are showing some spectacular works.Julien Lombrail: We are showing this incredible work titled “Automobile” by Studio Job, which is maybe the craziest collection piece ever done. It’s the biggest piece we ever purchased, completely insane- we even mortgaged our houses to get it. It is a functioning car, but at the same time it’s like a crazy Tim Burton movie, a surrealist painting with the whole world of Studio Job packed in one piece. We are also showing “The Original Dwelling” by Atelier van Lieshout, which is a house created very much like a caveman would build it. It is first built from a solid block of foam where Joep Van Lieshout will dig a bedroom, a bar, the lounge area, a bathroom area, and so on. We are very proud to show these works, which are unique pieces.Are there any trends or movements in design you have been interested in lately?Loïc Le Gaillard: There were certainly some trends ten years ago when we started, especially the Dutch designers who have been key in shaping the industry. Before that you had all the Anglo-Saxon positions, your Jasper Morrison, your Ron Arad, and then came the Dutch. Today, I think, people are interested in having a sculptural approach. Look at the work of artists like Vincent Dubourg, Nacho Carbonell, Wendell Castle, Ingrid Donat: they don’t have big studios with tons of employees, who are executing what they are being asked to do. These guys use their hands, their body, their soul to create art. It’s fascinating to see that. When you look at a piece of design that is made by the artist himself, it will carry a lot more emotion. Same with Atelier van Lieshout.All these pieces are here for a reason, not to fulfill a function, but because they want to say something. When a piece of design has its own story, its own emotion, it becomes much more interesting. And we can see that the market is moving away from ‘pure’ design. No one cares about the material, no one cares if the line is perfect, no one cares whether the material uses the light, there’s an intellectual consideration. But what is going to remain in time is emotions and the fact that you can look at an art work, touch an art work, and understand why this piece exists.In that context, what’s your position towards new technologies in design such as 3D printing?Julien Lombrail: It’s a tool—a sophisticated tool, but it won’t give you any talent. I don’t think it’s a real issue for debate. We have to live with the tools of today and 3D printing is a part of that. When something is produced with 3D you can see it, feel it. It has no soul.Loïc Le Gaillard: Julien is right: you wouldn’t type your letters on an old typewriter today. For the quality of the novel or the quality of the love letter that you are going to write, however, it doesn’t really matter, whether you write it on your old typewriter or your latest Mac. It’s what you want to put across that really matters.Any young designers who have excited you recently?Julien Lombrail: I think Nacho Carbonell is one of the most talented artists of his generation; Vincent Dubourg as well. Both work with their hands, somewhere between sculpture and design, very interesting and promising. We also started working with two even younger designers called David et Nicolas from Lebanon. They are preparing something quite spectacular right now, coming soon.Looking forward, what are your aims and goals for the next ten years?Julien Lombrail: For a start we want to consolidate and make sure that our artists have the best visibility in the art world. Another dream of Loïc and mine is to build a school integrating all the things around us. We have the best job on earth, perhaps apart from being an artist. We see the works develop, promote them at fairs, make sure they have shows in galleries and museums, work with the media. But we’ve noticed that there are no schools that teach you how to be a great artisan. These skills are mastered over time and within the right environment. We are working hard to create a dynamic where the young generation can learn from what we’ve learned. We want to help pass on everything we can, so this knowledge doesn’t die out, as is currently happening, for example, with French handcraft at a very high level. We think this is a great shame and want to do something about it.
↧