Design Miami/ Basel, 2023

Between Brutalism and Surrealism

Through this selection of works, the Galerie Gastou expresses its taste for eclecticism and the mixing of styles via two contrary currents.

Brutalism is represented in the creations from the Ateliers de Marolles through the work of Jean Touret. The artist’s sensitivity is expressed through the zoomorphic handles of fantastic animals with which his furniture is adorned.

Also to be showcased are the works of burnt metal by André Dubreuil, known as ‘‘the Poet of Iron’’.

Thanks to this process, aimed to animate static volumes, these creations are adorned with a leopard-like skin. A reference to historic woodworking is also made in this technique, recalling the veneer of flamed mahogany and the spots of knotted wood popular in the 19th century.

A selection of Italian lights from the 1970s, with works like Ugo la Pietra’s ‘‘Archangelo Metropolitano’’ and Ettore Sottsass’ ‘‘Astéroïde’’, define the eccentricity and poetry of Italian design, announcing a plunge into more Surrealist works like those in ceramic by Agnès Debizet, illustrations of her fantastic, dream-like world.

The presentation is completed with the exceptional ‘‘Cage-Bed’’ by Max Ernst, an ode to Surrealism.