Claude and Francois-Xavier Lalanne

Book excerpt: Revered and collected by design connoisseurs and enthusiasts alike, the work of husband-and-wife team Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne defies categorization. Crossing between sculpture and the functional object, the designs by the Lalannes—such as a hammered brass rhino-cum-desk—are whimsical and elegant with references to ancient French craftsmanship and twentieth-century Surrealism. This is the first intimate visual biography of their work, as well as the studio and life of the Lalannes. Never-before-seen photographs of their studio and home life—where study models and unfinished sculptures reveal a true portrait of the artists at work—are combined with the finished works shown in galleries and gardens, including an installation on the grassy median of Park Avenue in New York and their largest outdoor exhibition at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden outside of Miami. Transforming visual imagery of flora and fauna into delightfully sensual, dreamlike objects, the designs by the Lalannes have been sought by the likes of Yves Saint Laurent, Jacques Grange, and Peter Marino. This publication makes their work and process understandable, and ultimately accessible.