Joseph-André Motte (6 January 1925 – 1 June 2013) was a French

furniture designer This is a list of notable people whose primary occupation is furniture design. A * Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) * Eero Aarnio (born 1932) * Robert Adam (1728-1792) * Thomas Affleck (1745-1795) * Franco Albini (1905-1977) * Davis Allen (1916-199 ...

and

interior designer Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordina ...

and ranks among the most influential and innovative figures of post-war French design. Joseph-André Motte was born in Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur (southeastern France in the

Hautes-Alpes Hautes-Alpes (; oc, Auts Aups; en, Upper Alps) is a department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. It is located in the heart of the French Alps, after which it is named. Hautes-Alpes had a population of 141,220 ...

). After passing his ‘ baccalauréat’, he studied at the École des Arts Appliqués in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

( École nationale supérieure des arts appliqués et des métiers d'art), where he graduated in 1948 at the top of his class. His career is divided into two different stages. At first, he focused on furniture design up to the end of the 1960s. Later, he shifted his career to interior design.

Furniture design

In the period after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

(1939–45) there was increased interest in using new methods and materials for mass production of furniture. Manufacturers of materials such as

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, plywood, aluminum, and steel sponsored the salons of the ''

Société des artistes décorateurs The Societé des artistes décorateurs (SAD, Society of Decorative Artists) was a French society of designers of furniture, interiors and decorative arts that was active from 1901 until the 2000s. It sponsored an annual Salon des artistes décorat ...

''. Designers who exhibited their experimental work at the salons in this period included Motte,

Pierre Guariche Pierre Guariche (1926–1995) was a French designer, interior decorator and architect. He is perhaps best known for the residential lights that he designed for Pierre Disderot in the 1950s, but he was also an innovative furniture designer and arc ...

, René-Jean Caillette,

Jean Prouvé Jean Prouvé (8 April 1901 – 23 March 1984) was a French metal worker, self-taught architect and designer. Le Corbusier designated Prouvé a constructeur, blending architecture and engineering. Prouvé's main achievement was transferring m ...

Charlotte Perriand Charlotte Perriand (24 October 1903 – 27 October 1999) was a French architect and designer. Her work aimed to create functional living spaces in the belief that better design helps in creating a better society. In her article "L'Art de Vivre" f ...

, Antoine Philippon and

Jacqueline Lecoq Jacqueline Lecoq (born 1932) is a French designer who collaborated for many years with Antoine Philippon. They produced furniture designs that were modern, simple and minimalist, often using large glass plates as both surfaces and supports. Life ...

. Motte began his career as a furniture designer at the

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, one of the oldest Parisian department stores and cooperated with

Marcel Gascoin Marcel Gascoin (24 August 1907 – 29 October 1986) was a designer who specialized in modular storage units and sets of matching furniture. He played a major role in the emergence of French design after World War II (1939–45). Several of Gascoin ...

’s workshop. In 1954, he founded his own agency and co-founded the ''Atelier de Recherche Plastique'' (Studio for Plastic Research) with Michel Mortier and Pierre Guariche. His prolific career let him rise to the top of postwar designers whose mission was to refurnish French homes with industrial materials and contemporary style, integrating modern forms with conventional techniques, using traditional and modern materials:

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, Formica, plywood, stainless steel, and

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. Motte’s projects covered a global range of furniture and furniture accessories: * Office furniture, * Chairs, * Tables, * Lights, * Sanitary and heating facilities. Some of his most famed chairs are the * Tripod Chair (1949), * Catherine Chair, (1952), * Sabre Chair (1954), * 740 Chair (1957), * 770 (1958). He participated in many exhibitions such as ''

Salon des artistes décorateurs Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (Pa ...

'', ''

Salon des arts ménagers Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

'' and '' Universal exhibition Brussels Expo’58''.

Interior design

From the 1960s to the early 1990s (until his retirement), Motte was in charge of prolific and prestigious interior design commissions like public interiors for the French government including: *

Paris Métro The Paris Métro (french: Métro de Paris ; short for Métropolitain ) is a rapid transit system in the Paris metropolitan area, France. A symbol of the city, it is known for its density within the capital's territorial limits, uniform architec ...

stations (more than 100 stations), * the interiors and furnishings for the

Orly Airport Paris Orly Airport (french: Aéroport de Paris-Orly), commonly referred to as Orly , is one of two international airports serving the French capital, Paris, the other one being Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). It is located partially in Orly ...

, * the interiors and furnishings for the

Charles de Gaulle Airport Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (french: Aéroport de Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle, ), also known as Roissy Airport or simply Paris CDG, is the principal airport serving the French capital, Paris ( and its metropolitan area), and the largest intern ...

, * the interiors and furnishings for the Lyon Airport * parts of the

Louvre Museum The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

* parts of the state radio's Broadcasting House,

* French prefectures and town halls * The Council of Europe in Strasbourg He also got many contracts abroad in Sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa including the presidential palace in

Bamako Bamako ( bm, ߓߡߊ߬ߞߐ߬ ''Bàmakɔ̌'', ff, 𞤄𞤢𞤥𞤢𞤳𞤮 ''Bamako'') is the capital and largest city of Mali, with a 2009 population of 1,810,366 and an estimated 2022 population of 2.81 million. It is located on the Niger Rive ...

and many hotels in Algeria, Tunisia, Congo and Mali. He was honored with many awards such as the Golden Compass ( Compasso d'Oro), La Triennale di Milano, Prix René Gabriel. In 1990, he was awarded the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Grade of Commander).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Motte, Joseph-Andre 1925 births 2013 deaths Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres French industrial designers People from Hautes-Alpes

Furniture design

Interior design

See also

References

External links