The Impossible Collection of Design

ASSOULINE FALL 2014 ULTIMATES COLLECTION
THE IMPOSSIBLE COLLECTION OF DESIGN

By Frédéric Chambre

“Design is an expression of the purpose, and i”t may (if it is good enough) later be judged as art...

"Design is an expression of the purpose, and it may (it is good enough) later be judged as art" —Charles Eames

In recent years, the decorative furnishings niche has become of tremendous interest to collectors, causing a surge in the auction market and bringing record sales. Chosen by design expert Frédéric Chambre, this selection of furniture designs unspools like the frames of a film, an epic picture composed of one hundred years of creative innovations in form, materials, and techniques. As in art history, themes can be traced across changing trends: design versus the machine, design versus craft, design versus art—a story that continues to unfold. This hand-bound oversize luxury edition traces the development of twentieth-century design from the Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts movements through Bauhaus and Art Deco, Pop Art and the Memphis school, to today’s digital age, illustrating the dynamic story of a groundbreaking century through the evolution of everyday human objects.

With degrees in law and art history, Frédéric Chambre became a partner at the Calmels-Chambre-Cohen auction house in 1996. Chambre co-founded Pierre Bergé and Associates in 2002, and became vice president and partner in 2005; he was co-organizer of the February 2009 sale of the Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé collection at Christie’s in Paris. In 2012 Chambre joined PIASA as head of strategy and development, and he is currently vice president and general manager.

By Frédéric Chambre
14 x 17 in – 35.5 x 42 cm | 144 pages | 100 illustrations | handcrafted limited edition in a linen clamshell case