1984: Agnès Kentish, seated on a Garouste & Bonetti pouf, surrounded by two Orque chairs by Jean Philippe Gleizes
Agnès Kentish
The beginnings of the gallery
The Book
The genesis
In the early 80s, the En Attendant les Barbares gallery began publishing two budding designers: Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti. They took the name Garouste & Bonetti. Very quickly, their culture and imagination gave them the triple status of designers, decorators and artists. Iconoclasts, Garouste & Bonetti defined a new style, with an eclectic inspiration supported by high-level production. Their first creations determined the foundations of a decorative movement known as the “barbarian style”. One of the characteristics of this style is to call upon craftsmen and to evoke multiple aesthetic and historical references.
The consecration
This non-exhaustive approach allows Garouste & Bonetti to constantly renew their inspiration. The materials used are multiple: wrought iron, wrought iron, bronze, wood, patinated metal, gold leaf, parchment. The poetry of their approach is reflected in the choice of names of the pieces. Moon lamp, Mask lamp, Crown box, Topkapi sofa, Isis table. They claim the influence of French Decorative Arts, from Jean Michel Frank to Jean Royère.
Because Garouste & Bonetti reintroduce the notion of custom-made. They imagine the concept of lines that can be adapted: “Fourches”, “Olympiade”, “Feuilles”. Each design can be adapted to different types of furniture. For example, a console table can be transformed into a coffee table, a pedestal table, a dining room table, etc. The finishes, iron or bronze patina, choice of wood or gold leaf, are also chosen during each creation.
The separation
In the early 2000s, Garouste & Bonetti separated, leaving En Attendant les Barbares to continue publishing their creations. Their catalog is impressive. Some works have been exhibited in museums. Let us mention the Centre Pompidou, Musée des Arts Décoratifs (MAD), Victoria & Albert Museum (London), Grand Hornu (Brussels), Fondation Cartier, Guggenheim Museum (New York).
Today, their popularity among collectors makes them sought-after classics. Some results reach heights, such as a wrought iron archair, sold at Sotheby’s for 445,000 euros.
Among the craftsmen, it is worth mentioning Pierre Basse, former ironworker of Diego Giacometti, who works exclusively for the gallery. Pierre Basse has developed an unrivaled know-how, with a specific work of hand-wrought iron. In 1985, he contributed to the development of decorative elements by Diego Giacometti for the Picasso Museum.
Pierre Basse also carries out appraisals of Diego Giacometti pieces for prestigious auction houses, such as Christie’s and Sotheby’s. Always halfway between art, design, and decorative art, the gallery calls upon the bronzier Bocquel, who is the founder of Gérard Garouste, César, and Arman.
The rest of the story
After the separation of Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti, the gallery continues to publish them, each separately. First Elizabeth Garouste, to whom it dedicated two solo exhibitions. Then Mattia Bonetti, who developed a brilliant international career. Eric Schmitt is also one of the first designers. He is loyal to the gallery which had dedicated a first solo exhibition to him in 1990. During the tribute exhibition “Diego Giacometti Forever”, he approaches the field of sculpture. He is also very present in the exhibition “Fantasmagories”, in 2022.
The gallery publishes other design talents to whom it gives the opportunity to discover the know-how of its exceptional craftsmen. Over time, Andrée Putman, Eric Jourdan (ArtParis Design Prize), Christian Ghion, Matt Sindall and Arik Lévy joined the gallery.
In 2009, during a solo exhibition, Andrée Putman, a long-time friend of Agnès Kentish, presented “Les Boites d’Andrée”. Considering this theme from a broad angle, she develops and extrapolates the concept of the box. And moves with ease from the bedside table to the pencil case, from Macassar ebony; to bronze or lacquer.
Between custom creations and limited series, the En Attendant les Barbares gallery abolishes the boundary between decorative art, art and design. The aim is to create encounters between artisans and designers, the very essence of collectible design.
In 2022, the MAD (Musée des Arts Décoratifs) selected several pieces from the gallery for its “1980s” exhibition. Some of these pieces are still produced, such as the Lune lamp by Garouste & Bonetti.
This journey is traced in Anne Bony’s book, published by Editions du Regard: “Four Decades of Design”.
Published at the end of 2022, this book has been the subject of a second edition.
References:
https://madparis.fr/ExpoAnnees80
https://www.centrepompidou.fr/media/document/d4/ce/d4ce08a74b54b0a5d48ba1ff1e4dc6b1/normal.pdf