Lalanne(s)

Francois-Xavier and Claude Lalanne, a French husband-and-wife team of sculptors, have worked side by side for more than half a century. Their art is complementary, and both draw from the humor and spontaneity of surrealism while maintaining their individuality. Drawing from the grand tradition of French animaliers like Barye and Pompon, Francois-Xavier creates opulent and utilitarian pieces such as the whimsical rhinoceros desk, a "Tin of Sardines" bed, and his famous sheep chairs. Claude’s intimate and spontaneous universe ranges from nature-inspired jewelry and furniture to monumental sculpture. Pierre Bergé, Yves Saint Laurent, and Salvador Dali have all commissioned work from Claude—her electroplated molds of the human body for Saint Laurent are icons of twentieth-century art and fashion. This is the most complete monograph to be published on the Lalannes, whose work is featured in major museums and galleries around the world. Produced in collaboration with the artists, and drawing from their extensive archives, it fully documents and illustrates their work—from pieces signed collaboratively to their individual creations—and traces their inspirations from their Parisian neighbor Brancusi, to their early years as artists, via surrealism and the nouveaux réalistes from whom they quickly distinguished themselves, to their current place as the most original artists of the contemporary art scene.