144 CULTURED
©
ARCHIVES
PIERRE
PAULIN
L
ouis Vuitton presents "Playing With Shapes," a modular
furniture design by the late Pierre Paulin for Herman
Miller, conceived in 1972, but unrealized until now.
Paulin's wife, Maïa, and their son, Benjamin, worked
closely with both companies in developing the program for
"Playing With Shapes," including the recreation of Paulin's original
maquette and 18 pieces of furniture. "His pieces are honest,"
says Benjamin. "Behind the seemingly liberal shapes, one should
not imagine fickle artistic labor, but an arduous will for practicality,
sprinkled with a touch of poetry." This Design Miami/Satellite is
on view December 2 through 7.
FRENCH
REVIVAL
"An object's beauty is by no means
the expression of an artistic project,
but the result of the limitations linked
to its design."
—Pierre Paulin
Pierre, Benjamin and Maïa
Paulin, circa 1980; at right,
an original maquette for
Herman Miller that inspired
"Playing With Shapes," on
view at 140 NE 39th Street.