A body of work rediscovered through a monograph and a retrospective.
It was in 2010 that the wider public finally discovered the world of Jean-Pierre Laporte. A retrospective at Galerie Edouard Edwards in Paris, combined with the presentation of the Esox armchair in the “Mobi-Boom” exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, marked his first major exhibition.
An unexpected recognition, as he recalls: “One day, a young enthusiast of 1960s design came to my office. He had written to me several times without receiving an answer, and he wanted to write a book about my work. It was thanks to him that the project came to life. It was one of those coincidences in life.”
This is how 65|75, Jean-Pierre Laporte, Dix ans de création, a book by Karoll Audibert, came into being. The publication opened a window onto the designer’s singular universe and brought his name back into the spotlight fifty years after his earliest creations. Considered “too modern” in 1965, his sensuous and captivating seating designs finally found renewed recognition in 2010.
From wood to polyester: setting forms free!
Trained at the École Boulle and then at the École des Arts Décoratifs, Jean-Pierre Laporte joined Thonet in 1965. At the time, wood remained the dominant material: “I began by designing series of wooden chairs, armchairs and lounge chairs, because that was a condition for Thonet to put them into production. Their expertise was centred around this material.” But the rigidity of wood, combined with the influence of Pierre Paulin, encouraged him to explore other materials.
“I realised that wood imposed certain limitations. With polyester, forms could be set free, even though there were still constraints linked to removing the piece from the mould.” In 1969, this exploration gave birth to Girolle, an armchair with generous, almost erotic lines.
A vision of curves and counter-curves
“The human body is not made of straight lines! You have to adapt to its shapes, to its sensitivity.” Throughout his career, Laporte explored this idea through curves and counter-curves, moulded and shaped to fit the body. “All my products are moulded. For the Girolle, it took me a year and a half and three prototypes to arrive at the final form.” This long process of experimentation was supported by Thonet, which believed in the evolution of his designs.
Then came Esox, produced in 1970 by Burov: an armchair with a sinuous moulded-polyester shell, upholstered in brightly coloured Kvadrat fabric. “The art of seating people” remained a constant principle in his work.
Even in 2016, Jean-Pierre Laporte had not stopped creating. “In 1975, I stopped designing. I started again two years ago. Today, I am working on new models inspired by small prototypes from that period, for armchairs and chairs.” A prototype was then under development, although several more months would be needed before completion. “I hope it will be a surprise for everyone!”
When will it be revealed? Time will tell. Jean-Pierre Laporte concludes with humour: “I have lots of things to do… I need to go fishing!”
Achille