When transparent facade elements deliberately evolve from the course of the sun, we can explore a fascinating slow movement in stark contrast to the hectic urban street life on the ground. Especially the French designer Pierre Brault has responded to the accelerated rhythm of our society with facade installations that combine the principle of the sundial with colorful pop design. His three-dimensional works made of recycled colored plexiglass mesmerize through simple but dramatic movements of colored shadows. In the interview, Brault explains his inspiration, the experimental approach and his interest in working responsibly with material.
Brault graduated from Penninghen, the school of art direction and interior architecture, in Paris and was quickly discovered by several luxury and fashion brands which have been fascinated by his glossy colorful pop creations. His plexiglass installations play with space, color, light and movement to transform the environment. Transparency, reflections and shadows belong to Brault's central design aspects when he assembles plexiglass for decorative interior sculptures, fashion items, branding elements, or scenography for large-scale facade projects in the urban space. Admiring the works of Daniel Buren and Victor Vasarely, Brault's interest focuses on geometric shapes, typography and playing with translucent layers to subtly create spatial depth with a multitude of elements and surprise with a complex interplay of shapes, light and shadow. Inspired by the Slow Movement of the 1980s Brault recovers slowness with his pop sundials. For special interventions he controls a drone transporting plexiglass to create messages of respect and love on facades.
TS: What was the inspiration for creating colorful and dynamic installations on façades?
PB: When I first experimented in 2016, I wanted to transcribe the natural rhythm of the sun through color. Movement, transparency, and the solar trajectory were at the center of my concerns. My first line of research was the study of sundials and their cast shadows.
TS: To what extent were you influenced by the American architectural designer and glass artist James Carpenter?
PB: The architectural dimension of James Carpenter's work has inspired me to create my large-scale works. It allowed me to imagine bigger and without limits. Also Daniel Buren's conceptual art or Vasarely's kinetic art inspired me a lot in my relation to refraction and movement.
TS: Where do you see your art if we consider that your installations seem to be linked to the slow live movement of the 1980s and to the colorful pop culture and are perfectly suited to social media?
PB: Whether the works are digital or physical, what matters to me is to create an emotion through the sensation of light and to share it with as many people as possible by making it accessible.
TS: What role do typography and sports subjects have in your work?
PB: My choice of subjects are always related to movement, whether it's through decomposition in sports or revealing a typographic message. I generally choose simple or geometric shapes to make the understanding of my work accessible at a glance. It must be captured by a passerby who looks up to the sky in no time. In each of my installations I try to present a dimension of "revelation" and that one can see the work evolve throughout the day.
TS: What are the challenges when working with recycled plexiglass?
PB: Having at heart the environmental issues and the biodiversity of species, it was obvious for me to be interested in the materials I use. In each of my projects I try to work on the idea of the cycle and create objects with recycled materials giving them a second life. These are the concerns of tomorrow and all artists should integrate such an approach in their creations.
TS: How do you deal with the challenge that the position and movement of the sun changes for the different seasons?
PB: My work is experimental at the moment. Some of the dials are meant to work for only ten days a year and the rest of the year it becomes a poetic abstraction in the urban space. But the shadow will return to precisely the same point next year. I like this idea of the cycle and the passing of time. However, I try to capture the circular trajectory and the height of the sun which differs according to the seasons. For this I use specialized software and the French Astronomical Committee is a good source of advice to give more precision to my work.
TS: Which direction of the facade do you prefer?
PB: I like to create installations for any direction. When the facade is facing south, I like to play on a cross system of my plexiglas to let a message appear by refraction in the morning and its opposite in the evening. When the façade is east or west facing, I like to play with the "infinite" stretching of the shadows cast.
TS: To what extent do you use models in the design process?
PB: In each of my 3D experiments I try to project myself as best I can into space by imagining the refraction of the shadow in relation to the positioning of the sun. I then try to simulate the solar trajectory with a flashlight and a miniature model of my projects.
TS: Do you see your work as beautifying the urban context or to what extent do the installations send an additional message?
PB: Through my colorful and bright creations, I try to share my optimistic and positive vision of the world. I lead a reflection on the environment and develop creative projects at the crossroads of art, design and fashion. Biodiversity, species preservation and renewable energies are at the heart of my concerns. Living at the rhythm of the planet's resources and finding a Slow Life state of mind, more anchored in the present, are for me the challenges of tomorrow.
Light matters, a column on light and space, is written by Dr. Thomas Schielke. Based in Germany, he is fascinated by architectural lighting and works as an editor for the lighting company ERCO. He has published numerous articles and co-authored the books “Light Perspectives” and “SuperLux”. For more information check www.erco.com and www.arclighting.de.
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