A classmate of mine sent this to me this morning. It bares a lot of resemblance to some of the earlier drawings and models of my desk. I really really like the drawer details.
L’Orchidée was inspired by the work of Art Nouveau furniture designer Louis Majorelle, his series of the same name featured a desk which combined many innovative features of the 1890s, Marc’s desk is a natural progression and features signature innovations such as the aluminum dovetailed drawer sides and the seamless veneered tambour top. The Art Nouveau period has inspired Marc’s work, but reproducing or, looking achingly backwards to a better past is not Marc’s intention. Capturing the freedom and fluidity which the movement embodied makes Marc’s work more than a mere pastiche.
The growing access to computer aided technology has enabled forms to be not only drawn but also constructed. These tools would have been the envy of many a craftsman at the height of the Art.The architect Piers Gough described the new style of Art Nouveau architecture using computers to design and make as creating“insanely complicated gorgeousness… exciting times where these forms are made possible again”Marc’s desk L’Orchidée was recently referred to as “historically not Art Nouveau because it has never been done before, but stylistically it is a perfect fit. What Marc is doing here is different: he is not copying Art Nouveau; he is harnessing it and using it as a stylistic tool to push new boundaries. If others follow his lead, this piece could very well be one that defines furniture style for the next ten to fifteen years.”
Awarded Guild Mark number 420
Winner of the Claxton Stevens Award 2011.