Cadence - a new contemporary collection
Pierre Charpin and Saint-Louis have teamed up again to create Cadence, a cross category collection composed of tableware decoration and lighting.
Born from the combination of generations of craft expertise and radical design, Cadence makes a statement with its modern and simple design.
Pierre Charpin's drawings give rhythm to material. The regular pattern of lines in the crystal is cleverly adapted to the constraints of the material, thanks to the glassmaker's skill. The regularity and repetition of the cuts in the glass enhance the brilliance and clarity of crystal. What we then see hints at the skill implicit in any single gesture, whether in drawing or the art of making glass.
Three principles five these creations their originality:
Simplicity: the precision of the line gives life to objects that are accessible and fitting to their context. They are present, useful and discreet. These pure forms have been designed for everyday use despite being made from a more formal material like crystal. The short stem of the stemmed glass is the best example of this principle. By advocating a radically modern and simple version of crystal, Saint-Louis invites everyone to use these designs in a more intimate way.
The lines suggest the function and use of each design: horizontal lines contain liquid, vertical lines suggest elevation (for example glass stems, lighting stands). Cadence, and its designs, call for contemplation and slowing down in a fast paced world.
The importance of the line: "For me, everything starts with drawing." With these words, Pierre Charpin underlines the ethos of his work and creative journey. The lines punctuate the objects material in a regular and systematic way from one product to another. For this vocabulary of simple lines and forms, Pierre Charpin invoked multiple influences, from the Viennese Secession to the Memphis movement. Each of these artistic currents liberate themselves from the bourgeois and ostentatious heaviness of the past to focus on the essentials.
A meeting: "I like this idea of materialising my friendships or ideas with lines that cross and follow each other for a time and then continue on their way," (Pierre Charpin). The aesthetic principle of the Cadence collection is based on the meeting of horizontal and vertical cuts encouraging contemplation.