'Hosta' Mirror, 2012

Claude Lalanne designed furniture that served a purpose both in functionality and aesthetics by drawing inspiration from the organic components commonly found in the world around her. The delicate and detailed nature of Claude's designs is due to an electroplating technique that transforms molds and organic material, often plants and animals found near her home in Ury, France, into galvanized copper. The resulting texture and detail project an air of realism not readily found in metalwork. Drawing inspiration from elements of Art Nouveau and surrealism, the sculptural furniture transforms ordinary flora into elements that bend and shape themselves into a form that resembles something familiar. The level of natural realism and the manner in which Claude fashions the branches and leaves into energetic arrangements reaching out, gives an aura of animation despite its copper composition. The designs of the ‘Hosta’ mirror were a favorite of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, who had several covering the walls of their Paris apartment, creating a visual parallel to the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.