Les Lalanne
Past exhibition
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Kasmin is proud to present an exhibition of works by Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne, curated by designer Brian McCarthy and opening at Kasmin's 297 Tenth Avenue location on September 10, 2020. The show brings together over 20 sculptures that highlight the beauty, elegance, and unparalleled craftsmanship of Les Lalanne.
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The exhibition emphasizes the artists' kinship with the natural world, demonstrating their surrealist philosophy and mirroring the verdant gardens of their studio and home in Ury, France. Carefully selected, the sculptures presented here are signature works by Claude Lalanne, including her Banc Crocodile (2014) cast carefully from crocodile hide, her Choupatte (2014) with its iconic long chicken legs emerging beneath a large turquoise cabbage, and her Ginkgo table and chairs (2018/1996/2009). Also included are several unique Miroirs with tendril vines scrolling down their sides and leaves sprouting from their corners. Claude's Miroirs were famously commissioned in 1974 by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé for the music salon of their Rue de Babylone apartment in Paris. Like many of her works, these are cast from life by means of a galvano electroplating process where leaves are hand dipped into a bath of chemicals, an electric current is initiated and, over time, a cocoon of metal builds around each leaf.
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Equally remarkable are the works presented by Francois-Xavier Lalanne. The exhibition features his Chouette de Tourtour (1992/2002) alongside Singe avise (moyen) (2005), and the incredibly rare Wapiti (1996). These examples are emblematic of Francois-Xavier Lalanne’s uncanny ability to sculpt the animal kingdom. Following his tenure as a guard at the Musée du Louvre, François-Xavier Lalanne incorporated Egyptian and Assyrian characteristics into his sculpture, paying close attention to the animal form in ancient wall reliefs and idolic sculpture. Referencing the ethereal calm of the animals they pay homage to, the artist said, “No creature on earth has so great an aptitude for stillness as a wild animal. Its stillness is so absolute that, in its natural environment, it can become invisible.” As with both of the artists' works, his are sculptures that have functional value, creating a sense of accessibility that contradicts the sacred treatment of the ancient objects in the Louvre.
Brian McCarthy worked closely with Claude Lalanne on presentations and placements of the couple’s work since 2000 and has said, “There’s no one else like Les Lalanne, they are utterly unique.” The exhibition at Kasmin is staged ahead of the duo’s first US institutional show since 1966, scheduled to go on view at the Clark Art Museum, Massachusetts, in Spring 2021. -
Works
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