Like calls to like
Like calls to like.
I guess, only the laziest hasn’t managed yet to voice this most stable expression in various interpretations; moreover, that’s just the way it is.
Haute couture Guru (sorry for the stock phrase), Mr. Christian Lacroix, has got used to surprising people, or, if to be more precise, has taught us to be surprised at everything which the master touches.
Certainly, - those who are still ready to be surprised at something in this life.
Creators, who with confident, bright strokes paint their path in history, possess one interesting quality which out of genius’s generosity provides each of contemporaries and successors with an opportunity to find “their own…”
In this case – “their own” Mr Lacroix.
Author of these lines can hardly get rid of a feeling that overloaded forms, their quite paradoxical asymmetry and vivid colours which so persistently bring maestro into their art, smoothly originate from a sense of humour (steadily and unobtrusively), exquisite odour of something present in its world perception.
Certainly, everything in reality can be absolutely in a different way, but feelings, you know…
What can we do about them?
To examine under a microscope of ley attention a master’s creative path, trying to distinguish, and moreover classify, stages of his creative work, is a fascinating and at the same time thankless job, because a huge amount of “initial” materials by no means implies making an integral mosaic picture out of colorful stones.
We will certainly return to the mosaic, and now we should give credit to Mr.Christian Lacroix for haute couture, which in early 80s of the last century was in danger (forever already?) to remain at its unreachable height and thanks to the genius’s good graces “returned to masses”. And its pieces which sometimes seemed to be very loud on runway, appeared to be quite wearable in life in its ordinary meaning.
At times, creation of collections by a master reminds of child’s actions, convincing and marvelous in their inartificial way. He sees a lot of items (most different ones!), which have interested him, and tries to as soon as possible grab each of them in order to finally get hold of all of them. Meanwhile he doesn’t bother burdening himself with thoughts, whether he really needs this or that item. “I want this one and that one, and one of those as well, here and now”. Sense of humor doesn’t turn away from master here either as he knows for sure, what message is hidden behind each detail of his piece.
Or, he may actually don’t know, and merely play hunch…
“You can remain one only while wearing a mask” –a wise man said. And persistently recommended: “Wear masks!”
Colorful and provoking, accentuating and concealing, approaching and slipping away…
Undisguised theatricality which in a bold and at the same time careful way was passed by Mr. Christian Lacroix for ruthful exploitation by everyday life, keeps on bearing with dignity its aristocratic purity, meanwhile still giving itself a treat of bracing frivolity and provoking eclecticism. In maestro’s opinion, his pieces have to fascinate and at the same time entertain, deliberately distancing themselves from excessive seriousness.
…They merely had to meet; there is no doubt in that.
Or, it may seem so now, after it had happened...
As it was promised, we predictably returned to mosaics and in this case to Sicis mosaics, one of the most well-known and prestigious. Well, placers of generally scattered epithets, gloss whereof is being polished by their constant use, should not distract from a fascinating and at the same time habitual event: Mr. Christian Lacroix has created a masterpiece.
Which is at this stage of our story becomes a synonym of furniture which has come from under the master’s pen.
This is just another masterpiece (as belongs to a genius), but not an ordinary one.
And now with an open and kind smile (sense of humor is a steady category, isn’t it?) we can unhurriedly observe numerous attempts to explain a nature of such masterpiece.
It may be hidden in the fact that Sicis prefers to work only with organic raw materials avoiding artificial colorants.
It will not be an exaggeration to note also that literally each mosaic square hospitably accepts and constantly maintains historic tradition, artistic elegance of manual work and seemingly continuous choice.
A special place in the list of doubtless Sicis advantages is occupied by traditionally more detailed and small pattern which is invariably “adjusted” with the help of magic elegance-and-delicacy tuning fork.
Quartz and marble, gold and platinum, murano smalto and travertine, brass and stainless steel… Genius of the fashion world really had a lot to choose from, and Mr. Lacroix made it confidently and elegantly, having added the main component – his legendary talent.
Poetical maître’s lightheartedness which had been largely cultivated and cherished in the fields of bold experiments with form and colour, has not managed to be sworn to silence in this case either.
Unappealable nature of cunning radicalism joyfully and confidently interweaves with extraordinary approach to using a riot of color, quite probably inspired by charm of his native Arles city and romantic Camargue region in southern France, which in a funny way “admitted” in their history a great number of cultural traditions, including the well-preserved Roman mosaics. At the same time, even deliberate original source distortion, which is used by master with significant mischief, is projected on uniqueness and naturalness of Sicis House with maximum respect.
We may be repeating ourselves, and nevertheless, it is difficult to imagine that a legendary figure in mosaics world and a master, who creates not even collections but taste, could fail to meet…
And having met, they bound their creative union, alongside with many other fantastic peculiarities, with innovative approaches to work.
One gets an impression, that each one in this tandem receives exactly what he needs right now, and a potential consumer obtains a wonderful opportunity to learn about one more aspect of Mr.Christian Lacroix’s talent.
Moreover, maestro (convinced, by the way, in that there is no difference between fashion and fancy dress) admits that it is comfort, which creates underlined individuality in imagination, has become a key aspect in creation of unique furniture in all respects.
Dmitryi Chuburkov