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Rare Suite of Joseph-André Motte Serie 800 for Stainer

A very unusual Joseph-André Motte series 800 suite for Stainer , comprising a pair of sofas and a pair of armchairs , recently reupholstered in a tightly woven textural cloth in linen and wool. It is very unusual to find a pair of sofas by him.

Measurements : Sofas 178 wide x 83 high x 80 deep x 43 high seat

Chairs 74 wide x 83 high x 80 deep x 44 high

Joseph-André Motte (6 January 1925 – 1 June 2013) was a French furniture designer and interior designer and ranks among the most influential and innovative figures of post-war French design.[1]

Joseph-André Motte was born in Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur (southeastern France in the Hautes-Alpes). After passing his ‘baccalauréat’, he studied at the École des Arts Appliqués in Paris (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.

In the period after World War II (1939–45) there was increased interest in using new methods and materials for mass production of furniture. Manufacturers of materials such as Formica, plywood, aluminum, and steel sponsored the salons of the Société des artistes décorateurs. Designers who exhibited their experimental work at the salons in this period included Motte, Pierre Guariche, René-Jean Caillette, Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand, Antoine Philippon and Jacqueline Lecoq.[2]

Motte began his career as a furniture designer at the Bon Marché, one of the oldest Parisian department stores and cooperated with Marcel 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: rattan, foam, plastic, Formica, plywood, stainless steel, and glass.[citation needed]

Motte’s projects covered a global range of furniture and furniture accessories:

Office furniture,

Chairs,

Tables,

Lights,

Sanitary and heating facilities.[3][4]

Some of his most famed chairs are the

Tripod Chair (1949),

Catherine Chair, (1952),

Sabre Chair (1954),

740 Chair (1957),

770 (1958).[citation needed]

He participated in many exhibitions such as Salon des artistes décorateurs, Salon des arts ménagers and Universal exhibition Brussels Expo’58

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 stations (more than 100 stations),

the interiors and furnishings for the Orly Airport,

the interiors and furnishings for the Charles de Gaulle Airport,

the interiors and furnishings for the Lyon Airport

parts of the Louvre Museum

parts of the state radio's Broadcasting House, Paris

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 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).

Joseph-André Motte

Born January 6, 1925

Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur, France

Died June 1, 2013 (aged 88)

Paris, France

Nationality French

Education École nationale supérieure des arts appliqués et des métiers d'art

Known for Furniture Design; Interior Design

Awards

Silver medal Triennale di Milano,

1st prize, Concours National du Centre Technique du Bois (1956),

Award René Gabriel (1957),

Grand Prix Brussels World's Fair Expo 58 (1958),

1st Prize Concours des Glaces de Boussois (1960),

1st Prize Mazda, Formica, Surnyl Contest (1960/1964),

Silver medal, Médaille d'Or, Médaille d'Honneur de la Société d'Encouragement à l'Art et à l'Industrie (1957,1958, 1965),

Italian prize Compasso d'Oro (1970),

French Academy of Architecture award (1982),

Commander 'Ordre des Arts et Lettres' (1990)

Reference number

13778

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