Aubry Broquard. La Période Molle
A supple pink book with a softcover and dust jacket on the humorous ceramic works of Bastien Aubry and Dimitri Broquard is a hybrid object that plays with various book types. While the paper and the execution of the cover are reminiscent of a sketchbook, the cover design with its drawing, author’s name and title all reference a classic artist monograph. Yet the typical ingredient of the studio photograph appears only once, concealed beneath the dust jacket. Inside, the presentation of the objects, either singly or in small groups on a page, looks at first glance almost like a chronological archive, but the arrangement is based on virtuoso image editing and narration. The objects, most of them colourful, are photographed against coloured backgrounds that sometimes appear to be part of the artistic practice, attesting to a very close collaboration with the designer. Many of the objects resemble characters brought magically to life through the design. The book itself also comes across as a living, complex character. Everything is lovingly organised, and the way in which the artistic work navigates the fine line between seriousness and humour is brilliantly highlighted by the avoidance of all comic elements in the design itself.
