Designer (1939) - Paris, France
A chemical engineer by training, Durot taps the hidden energy of seemingly inert matter to create vibrant pieces that convey a sense of movement briefly stilled. In his works the physical processes of creation are evident with each bend of metal or ripple of resin. Yet, through careful attentional to surface he transforms them into art works which seem to expand beyond the physical limits of their material. Under his hand, metal and plastic undulate, spiral and soar. His lamps of curved, chrome-plated steel convey a sense of lightness and freedom with their reflected light; and jelly-like lips strung around a necklace appear to vibrate with pleasure. Though his medium is often synthetic; Durot's work is sensual and expansive, a surrealist biomorphism buoyed by the visual humor of Pop Art. An acknowledged expert in plastics, he forms a luscious settee from a pair of glossy polyurethane lips and twists a spiral of resin into a chair. Finding a source of expression in the chemical properties of his media; Durot invests his works with magic, convincing us that he has rolled a gigantic tongue into a chair or that he has created a table of molten gold.
