CLAUDE LALANNE (B. 1924)

The artistry behind Claude Lalanne’s creations is not only in her ability to render nature in its purist form, but also how she juxtaposes those natural forms to trigger the unexpected. Lalanne transforms the everyday object into an otherworldly form. Her conjoining of natural forms, the delicate veins of a cabbage leaf, curling vines, stems, and leaves obscure the rooted function of these objects. Hidden from view, a lizard’s tail, partially obscured by a leaf, meets our hand as we grasp the stem of the fork. An otherwise habitual interaction is met with the surprise of the unexpected. Her craft inspires play between the imagination and reality, obscuring functionality, introducing the surreal into the materiality of our everyday existence.

cf. D. Marchesseau, The Lalannes, Paris, 1998, p. 90 for a flatware set of a similar design.