THIERRY LAUDREN

Expressive grains - by Laurence Salmon - Photos by Raphaël Rinaldi

A whole fantasy world escaped from his imagination

...This creator is not short of ideas if we are to consider the plentiful singularity of his production full of characters with drawers inspired by disturbing pictures by Dali, heads as gigantic as those of the Easter Island, which open like a chest of drawers, precious cabinets that look like the heads of animals… A whole fantasy world escaped from his imagination fed with exotic readings.
In a corner of his office, piled up in a jumble under a thin layer of sawdust, there are books about the Dogons, taïnos art or the organic architecture of Gaudi, the Catalan, which testify to his great curiosity. His work doesn't compare with the rough beauty of the furniture carved by Alexander Noll. We must take a look at the Lalannes whom Thierry Laudren readily praises for the narrative style of their famous "rhinoceros"writing desks or sheep in the shape of seats.
For him as for them, we do not know if we deal with furniture or sculptures. "The utilitarian aspect is secondary" he indicates. "It is rather a sculpture that one is allowed to touch, to discover by handling its various components, whether they be drawers or doors".

Creation is his true motivation

Limiting oneself to the functional aspect of furniture is to him as tedious as technical perfection as it is practiced for the copy of old pieces of furniture. Creation is his true motivation. And inevitably, this is done through drawing.
He is short of time because it takes a long time to carve each part. Thierry Laudren produces about thirty creations a year. Some series can be duplicated up to eight copies to meet the demand. He meets his customers at the House and Object Show at Villepinte which he has attended for sixteen years. There are company directors looking for works of art, Arab princesses or architects keen on innovations…

As a holder of a CAP of sculptor specialized in ornament, but above all, as a former student of the 'Ecole Boulle' he has a special relationship with the "Monuments Historiques" for the restoration of 16th century church frames in Brittany. Monsters and chimera have no secret for this wood enthusiast who, at 12, already knew his vocation.

©>Ateliers d'Art | january-february 2004