ERIC SCHMITT

Eric Schmitt manages—with amazing dexterity—to please, and indeed, to fascinate two fastidious groups who are wildly divergent in their tastes: those who wish that craftsmen made things like they used to, and those who wish design would not linger towards the past. Fusing the past and the future, Mr. Schmitt has formed quite a present. Having learned the skill of welding 20 years ago (after stints as an equestrian and a recording artist), he went on to build a career in bronze with an aesthetic all his own. While hewing closely to the clean geometries and planes of Modernism, Mr. Schmitt cannot resist a curve. His wit and playfulness always get the best of him, and his work gets the best of it: a sober dedication to good design and love of materials burnished with a patina of charm and cleverness. This is evident in his eponymous furniture collection sold at Ralph Pucci in New York, and the line he designs for famed French designer Christian Liaigre. It’s also clear from the stunning one-of-a-kind architectural elements—doorways, mantelpieces, balustrades and railings—he is known for creating that Schmitt does make them like they used to, but he dreams a lot more.

Pierre Passebon | Artists and Artisans | Image Gallery

ANNE AND VINCENT CORBIÈRE | GUY DE ROUGEMONT | PATRICE DANGEL | RON ARAD | VLADIMIR KAGAN
PAUL MATHIEU | FRANÇOIS-MARIE BANIER | MATTIA BONETTI | ERIC SCHMITT