Despoke catches up with Pierre Gonalons of ASCETE to talk about his recent designs, what it means to be a Parisian designer, and the state of the design world in the city of light.
With the recent success of his “Je T’Aime” lamp, Pierre Gonalons has won recent attention from various blogs and media outlets including L’Express. The principle designer and vision behind ASCETE, Gonalons strikes a slender figure who is quiet, but extremely friendly, and then excitable, especially when talking about Paris. A Lyonnais by birth, he considers Paris the only place for a French designer, as the rich design tradition offers limitless inspiration.
DSPK: Though you mention that Paris is THE place for French designers, it doesn’t, at least on the surface, appear to have much support for young designers.
PG: It absolutely doesn’t. Paris lacks the infrastructure and community of London or New York (and there’s nothing in the world like Milan). Many young designers feel hung out to dry here, especially when what gets rewarded are things you see at places like Ligne Roset. I would say, though I don’t know much about it, that Paris is truly a place for art first, design is maybe a distant second.
DSPK: So, there’s not much of a community, but at least that community is strong?
PG: Not really even. It’s more the history of Paris, the strong traditions of aesthetics here, that are fanastic. Recent history I feel less of, perhaps the Mitterand era was the last of it. This city has so much good design and style from some many eras, that is the treasure of Paris.
DSPK: But as for avant-garde now, not so much. Why is that?
PG: Paris is conservative, and for good reason. Like I said about the treasures, people want to guard and preserve this. But in doing so, I think they have maybe gone too far. Especially in design, utility is really stressed here, whereas in Milan, your imagination is the limit.
DSPK: And yet, Paris is the only place for you. Sounds tough to me.
PG: (laughs) Yeah, but when you are French, Paris is too powerful to leave. Aesthetically there just isn’t anything like it. There is so much inspiration here, of course with the Je T’Aime lamp, there is that campiness, or irony, but that’s just the surface of what Paris offers. I draw a lot on French history, which invariably means Parisian history. Recently, I’ve become obsessed with the post-War era of design and a lot of light-cast concrete work.
DSPK: I’ve looked at some of your collaborations, especially with Lalique. These objects seem borderline art to me, have you ever considered yourself an artist?
PG: I don’t really know anything about the art world. I’ve never studied art or looked seriously at work, contemporary or classical. I have worked with photographers and artist on some of shoots and installations but find that their process or practice is completely different. I don’t really work in concepts. To me, the only thing is the object.
DSPK: In that way, maybe you have more freedom there, not feeling the need to create an identity between you the designer and the object?
PG: Yes, exactly. I design objects so that they can come into existence and be completely independent from me. In that way, I can be anonymous… especially in Paris.
Tags: ASCETE, Ligne Roset, Paris Design, parisian Design, Pierre Gonalons
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