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Negropontes Galerie
Shifting Reflections
For its third collection, Galerie Negropontes presents Re ets Décalés – Shifting Re ections
– consisting of ten furniture designs by Hervé Langlais. Playing on optical illusions,
perception and gaze, these designs unveil aesthetics of multiplying forms, offbeat
shapes and graphic motion. Such abstraction appeals to our imagination and transforms
the observer of this collection of mirrors, consoles and pedestal tables into an active
participant of their representation. Each of the designs presents the shifting re ection of
the eye of its onlooker.
The second was a tribute to Romanian
sculptor Constantin Brancusi and
focused on shape. This latest collection,
realised by Sophie Negropontes and
Hervé Langlais, focuses on graphics and
the way in which movement is expressed
through geometric shapes. The work of
designer Hervé Langlais and founder
Sophie Negropontes fundamentally
remains a reference to the tradition of
The Diversion mirror, where two brass
noteworthy in the Op’ Art commode.
the French Decorative Arts thanks to
rings hold a champagne coloured mirror,
The rectangular shapes in black ebony
their collaborations with the nest and
is divided by a brass wire so that the
and white sycamore marquetry, which
most innovative craftsmen.
viewer keeps guessing where the center
appear to jostle with one another, are a
lies. The same goes for the Vibration
reference to the artistic movement of
Martine and Jacki Perrin are husband
console which is made of Macassar
the 1960s, which has given this piece
and wife sculptors. They have a
ebony with a dozen polished brass leaves
its name. Just as the work of Op Art
predilection for glass, passionately
that have been randomly placed. These
originators, Victor Vasarely and Bridget
working with this material, testing
shiny elements attract the eye with
Riley, this collection offers a physical
novel techniques while creating original
their volumes endlessly repeated by the
experience of perspective. To sum up
aesthetic designs. With plaster models as
mirror effect. Each movement of the
this exhibition, the monumental Regard
their starting point, the couple work s by
onlooker modi es the perception of the
mirror represents the shape of an eye
directly carving these dense and compact
object.
with its center altering everything that is
glass blocks, to design their monumental
reflected.
masterpieces, along with their more
This aesthetic exploration is present
intimate pieces, all in original colours and
in all of the pieces of the Shifting
Galerie Negropontes’ rst exhibition was
Re ections collection, particularly
all about materials, in their rawest form.
shapes.