Perriand the Pioneer

Although Charlotte Perriand’s life spanned most of the 20th-century (1903-1999), she never lost her youthful curiosity. After graduating from the Union Centrale des Arts Décoratifs, she set out to revolutionize and improve our lives by stripping interior design and architecture down to the bare essentials. Two hundred of her designs – produced alone or with others – have been painstakingly reproduced for this show that sheds light on her links with the architects and artists of her time. The pieces that played a direct or subconscious role in her work – sculptures, paintings, tapestries, drawings, photocollages, etc. – are presented alongside her furniture, plans, collages and even art brut photos. At every turn, visitors discover a ceramic or canvas by her friend Fernand Léger, a painting by Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque or Joan Miró, a mobile by Alexander Calder, or a bronze by Henri Laurens, among others. In 1927, she joined Le Corbusier’s studio, where Pierre Jeanneret was already working. She produced two signature pieces that went on to become classics of 20th-century tubular design. Cassina still produces re-editions of these works: the Grand Confort armchair and the tilting chaise longue. Charlotte Perriand was also keen to make her furniture widely available and co-founded the Union des Artistes Modernes (UAM) in 1929, in opposition to academic shows and the stuffy Société des Artistes Décorateurs.