Anne & Vincent Corbière

The deliberate quest for beauty guides us. Our joint creations are the result of a continuing dialogue. We share, one with the other, a vision, a direction for each new piece. Then follows our research and the exchange of our respective propositions until we agree on the personality of our new project, at which time we each pursue our part of the work.
 

Anne: The textiles I create begin with the yarns and colors I select, guided by how I imagine they will be applied – a curtain, a chair, a panel for a cushion or a screen . . . the visual and the sensual, the character of the fibers combined with the weave structure – which like a recipe is the ultimate marriage of the ingredients – all play a role in the choices I make each time I create not just a design, but an actual physical cloth. It is always exciting and surprising to discover on the loom how the different parts have come together in a new material.
 

Vincent: My preferred woods are indigenous to France: walnut, oak, pear, linden, and alder. All of the colors I choose for my designs are either natural or created through oxidation, a technique I researched from historical documents and which consists of transforming or enriching the natural tannins in the wood to create enduring luminous colors. Most of my pieces are waxed, sometimes after applying a preliminary protective coat. The metals I prefer to work with are brass, bronze, or iron, often waxed like the woods. I sculpt walnut, pear, oak, beach, hew, alder, and sometimes ebony. I seek to discover and respect the character of each piece of wood – this often means composing with their marks and blemishes, which make them more rare and precious. My intent is to reveal the inherent forms within the wood.