The b-uncut blog

b-loud: Claudie Bastide’s Chair Rase

// October 22nd, 2009 // View Comments // b-loud

We asked chair-loving artist Claudie Bastide, interviewed in yesterday’s blog post, to tell us more about her art, and to cherry-pick one of her pieces to feature on our blog.

Claudie selected Chair Rase, one of her famous chairs turned into a character with hair, a mouth, eyes, a nose, a hat and breasts. The engraved caption on the seat of the chair reads “faisons chaise-rase des idées reçues” which translates as “let’s break free from pre-conceived ideas”, thus challenging the viewer to perceive objects around him in a completely different way. “This sculpture is very much the illustration of my artistic approach”, Claudie adds.

Claudie is a militant against meaningless chairs, and by using what she calls the “chair language”, wishes to unsettle the viewer and force him to ask questions about life, himself, others as well as art. Claudie openly admits that she’s not entirely sure whether her chairs are comfy, at b-uncut however, we think they are thought-provoking!

Claudie has nicknamed her chairs the “troublemakers”, as they do challenge the perception, we as humans, have of objects we take for granted.

As Claudie points out:

“Many people ask whether they can sit on them or not and what may happen if they sit on them. I answer that it is an effect of their mind that sitting becomes a thoughtful act and that my chair-sculptures are links between their bottom and their mind!”

You can check out Claudie’s pieces in the b-uncut gallery, or why not purchase a little something from our store?

How would sitting on Chair Rase make you feel?

b-loud: Meet Painter and Sculptor Claudie Bastide

// October 21st, 2009 // View Comments // b-loud

The “b-loud” series of interviews introduces our artists to the world allowing you to find out something about their art and their lives.

Without further ado, we’d like to introduce you to our first willing victim, French painter and sculptor Claudie Bastide.

Claudie Bastide, is an international jet-setter having lived in a number of cities including Paris, Brussels and Mexico where she ran a fashion-design studio. Back in Paris she spent 10 years collaborating with a French fashion icon – Pierre Cardin. She fell in love with the arts, and had her first solo exhibition of characters made out of chairs back in 1996.

Claudie enjoys using brushes and colours to express the very and unspeakable depth of her feelings. She expresses herself in an abstract, geometrical way, looking for harmony of shapes and colours. Claudie is particularly fond of oil painting for its exhilarating scents and vibrant colours, so much so that, she would happily cover herself in the stuff! Claudie also recently got into digital photography manipulation, and is without a shadow of a doubt an all round artist!

Claudie has received several honour prizes for her works and has exhibited in many cities including Paris, Geneva, Berlin, Barcelona. Many of her sculptures and paintings are in private collections. Claudie currently lives and works in her private studio in Paris.

b-uncut: So, what makes your art awesome?

Claudie: My art is awesome for three simple reasons: my art impresses the soul when you let yourself go into it, it strikes the mind particularly when you are about to sit on it, and it surprises the bottom when you do sit on it!

b-uncut: What makes you tick?

Claudie: I could spend hours admiring Kandinsky, Miro or Malevitch’s pieces. Here’s a random fact about myself; despite my fascination for chairs, I actually prefer to sit on a hard floor. I think it’s pretty ironic when you think that my first solo exhibition back in 1996 was all about chairs!

b-uncut: Any juicy details, we should/shouldn’t know about?

Claudie: One day I said to myself: look, all you do is talk about people, art and painting, why not talk about yourself for a change. So I sat on a chair and began to talk about myself. The discussion went round and round for hours; I got so dizzy I ended up falling off the chair!

b-uncut: What’s your favourite sin-city?

Claudie: I love New-York’s energy, as well as swinging London, but my favourite sin-city would be “Trifouillis-les-Oies”, a hidden hamlet in the very heart of the French countryside! Even I can’t find it…

Merci beaucoup Claudie for taking the time to answer our questions; we look forward to discussing your art in more detail in tomorrow’s blog post. In the meantime, our lovely readers can head over to the b-uncut gallery to discover more of Claudie’s work or purchase a magnet, T-shirt or mousepad based on Claudie’s designs from our store.