Andre Dubreuil

Svelte and seductive, the Spine chair, shown on the cover of this book, is one of the most renowned objects in contemporary design. Its creator, Andre Dubreuil, after initially pursuing a career of antique dealer and a painter-decorator, became one of the leading figures of new English design in the mid-1980s, with Mark Brazier-Jones and Tom Dixon. After first working his magic on the rebar, Dubreuil tackled traditional forms, breathing new life into them. This return to citation, ornament, and to "craftsmanship" was carried out without qualms. For him, invention is what counts above all. The history of styles has never caught hold of him because he does not know where his craft will lead tomorrow. It is a craft which, through random experimentation, has been the catalyst for 400 enigmatic furniture objects from 1985 to today: chairs, chests of drawers, mirrors, cabinets, clocks, lanterns, etc. in which dreams, invention and mystery prevail over function.