When Paunch Has Panache
When Eileen Gray saw Michelin Tire’s buxom inflatable mascot, called Bibendum, she decided she had to design a chair worthy of his ample rolls. It has become one of her most appreciated designs. Attributed to the work that Gray did in Paris for Suzanne Talbot's Rue de Lota project, the Bibendum chair epitomizes her lush take on modernism. Though before her death, at nearly 100, Gray was virtually unrecognized, she is now regarded as one of the most influential 20th-century designers and architects. “When she was born, Queen Victoria was still on the throne,” writes her biographer Peter Adam in his book Eileen Gray: Architect/Designer; “and when she died…men had flown to the moon.” I believe this breadth of history can be seen in her aesthetics. Not only are some of her designs queenly in their proportions, like Bibendum; others are as sleek and space-aged as they come, like the E.1027 table, which I’ve featured this week on my International Design Examiner page. The Bibendum is upholstery over a chrome tubular frame. The hardwood structure is stuffed with polyurethane foam and the base is chrome-plated tubular steel. It can be ordered fabric or leather.
