Louis Durot Seating

A late 1970's, post modern or pop art sculptural settee sofa by French artist and scientist Louis Durot (b. 1939). - This is one of three works that I am offering through my 1stdibs storefront, HKFA. Search HKFA on 1stdibs, view my storefront and see the other two works by Louis Durot, a curvaceous blue armchair sculptural work of art / furniture and a L'Echasuffesuse red lip sofa settee sculptural work of art / furniture. - Mr. Durot describes his work, "I explore the abstraction of objects, to create art that provokes thought and curiosity." This is an oversized and stylized cowrie shell sofa settee. The settee is constructed of a polymer / polyurethane foam of Mr. Durot's creation. There is a hard 'shell' on the base that the softer polyurethane sits inside. The white surface exhibits some marks and scuffs. There are a couple small openings on the surface. I believe that this is more of a sculptural work of art rather than a functional piece of furniture - however, it really is quite comfortable. The couple very small tears in the covering allow air to escape and when seated on the cowrie shell, one sinks a bit lower than perhaps was intended. Mr. Durot holds several patents on polymers and polyurethanes. Mr. Durot was born in 1939. He and his family narrowly escaped certain death during World War II. Durot, living in hiding for many years, grew up in France. As a child in 1944 he molded toys for himself and the other children in their village from different shades of clay by the river near his home. From this beginning, Mr. Durot has been creating, sculpting and molding ever since. His school age years earned him a reputation of an 'enfant terrible' and in his own words "In my youth, I had to fight for my survival. In the village where I was hiding, we were kept in a barn with the goats and other livestock. I was very young and malnourished. And everything was a matter of strength. We had very little food, and as I was smaller than some of the other children I always got the last scraps. But when you are starving you have to fight to survive. When I grew up and started to go to school, I became unable to suffer discipline or take orders from anybody. And this is why I could never be employed. I have only been employed for six weeks in my life!" In 1960 Durot enrolled in the Facultie de Sciences to study math. It was in 1963 that Durot became interested in engineering and secured a position with Equipel. It was while employed by Equipel that he began to study organic chemistry...

A late 1970's, post modern or pop art sculptural settee sofa by French artist and scientist Louis Durot (b. 1939). - This is one of three works that I am offering through my 1stdibs storefront, HKFA. Search HKFA on 1stdibs, view my storefront and see the other two works by Louis Durot, a curvaceous blue armchair sculptural work of art / furniture and an oversized cowrie shell sofa settee sculptural work of art / furniture. - Mr. Durot describes his work, "I explore the abstraction of objects, to create art that provokes thought and curiosity." This is a pair of red hot lips! The Warmer - L'échauffeuse. Oversized, pouty, slightly parted and gorgeously stylized - this pair of lips is ready to blow you a kiss. The sculptural settee is constructed of a polymer / polyurethane foam of Mr. Durot's creation. There is some mottling to the surface and it exhibits some marks and scuffs. I believe that this is more of a sculptural work of art rather than a functional piece of furniture - however, it really is quite comfortable. When seated within the slightly parted lips, you are held by their pouty kiss. Mr. Durot holds several patents on polymers and polyurethanes. Mr. Durot was born in 1939. He and his family narrowly escaped certain death during World War II. Durot, living in hiding for many years, grew up in France. As a child in 1944 he molded toys for himself and the other children in their village from different shades of clay by the river near his home. From this beginning, Mr. Durot has been creating, sculpting and molding ever since. His school age years earned him a reputation of an 'enfant terrible' and in his own words "In my youth, I had to fight for my survival. In the village where I was hiding, we were kept in a barn with the goats and other livestock. I was very young and malnourished. And everything was a matter of strength. We had very little food, and as I was smaller than some of the other children I always got the last scraps. But when you are starving you have to fight to survive. When I grew up and started to go to school, I became unable to suffer discipline or take orders from anybody. And this is why I could never be employed. I have only been employed for six weeks in my life!" In 1960 Durot enrolled in the Facultie de Sciences to study math. It was in 1963 that Durot became interested in engineering and secured a position with Equipel. It was while employed by Equipel that he began to study organic chemistry...

Designed and crafted by French Pop Artist, Luois Durot, this piece is sure going to be a conversation piece. Is it a tongue? Is it a bum? It's called the Pouffesses chair and it's definitely a fun piece that makes a bold statement in any room! While the chair is certainly a bold piece of functional pop art, it looks fantastic in the gallery, flanked with a Vladimir Kagan cloud sofa, and Paul Evans cube table (as photographed). We also have this piece among Olivier Mourgue, Pierre Paulin and Verner Panton pieces and not only does this piece hold its own, it makes a statement. This piece would look incredible in any modern, mid century modern, or contemporary environment. Louis Durot's pieces have sharply increased in popularity in recent years-- being currently styled by Kelly Wearstler and other top interior designers. A quick search online will yield a treasure trove of these pieces being used in a number of absolutely stunning contemporary environments. Louis Durot, born 1939, is a French pop artist who narrowly escaped deportation in 1943 by missing the train to Auschwitz. Gathered in Magagnosque ( Alpes-Maritimes ), it is there that he discovered the pleasure of sculpting the earth and making objects from it. In 1960, he enrolled at the Faculty of Science, where he obtained a diploma in “propaedeutics – Maths 1 Mécagène”. In 1963, he became a "gluer" for two months and then an engineer at Equipiel, where he was responsible for calculations and resistance measurements to develop prototypes of nuclear power plants. When the French branch was abandoned and became a research company, Equipiel offered him a one-year training in organic chemistry. Between 1966 and 1972, Louis Durot was at the head of a dozen research contracts. In 1964, Louis Durot founded the Freelane Studio which aims to bring together artists from various disciplines with common artistic expectations. The Freelane Studio thus brought together the jazz journalist Gilles Brinon, the painter Jean Ihallero, Maxime Defert... It was thanks to them that Louis Durot met the painter François Arnal , who introduced him to the French sculptor César in 1966. Louis Durot becomes César's assistant for a year, in order to put his qualities as a chemical engineer at his service. In César's studio, he improves his knowledge of polyurethane foam and the artist's foam creations, his expansions. Thanks to César, Louis Durot met Pierre Restany (founder and mentor of the New Realists group founded in 1960), Arman and Robert Malaval...

Blue lacquered version of the Spirale Chair by french designer Louis Durot. Signed. Made by hand by the artist. Louis Durot is a French designer, born in 1939. Former assistant...

Armchair in lacquer, signed by Louis Durot.

Armchair in polyuréthane Lacqued in red, green and black Signed and dated.