ENGLISH 084/duo
Arnauld and Laurence Schmeltz
creating worlds Free-flowing, genuine sensitivity, a blend of the imaginary and real life experiences, a fascination for objects and a longstanding closeness: this is what characterises Arnauld and Laurence Schmeltz. He is a graphic designer and photographer guided by instinct; she is a texture buff and a great crafter of images. Married in real life and working as a team, Arnauld and Laurence live in France and Morocco and dedicate their designs to these two countries. As inspiration takes them Enhanced photos printed on stretched canvas, objects with a new twist or punctuated with various patterns, furniture reworked or painted with a variety of techniques, Arnauld and Laurence succumb to all fragments of texture and explore a plethora of media. Bags, ottomans, fabrics, various pieces of furniture, porcelain, walls, metals: they’ve touched on it all. Laurence told us more: "We like to explore and experiment with everything that comes our way. We react spontaneously to everything we see around us and are receptive to everything." This ex-advertising agency art director swapped everything for graphic art and work in tandem with her husband. An ex-agency designer, Arnauld is now a follower of free experimentation. He observes and reacts, alternating techniques and observation viewpoints, and constantly tackles new artistic expressions. "My work is a potpourri of elements, he entrusts, I don’t restrict myself to a single technique and I don’t question anything. I draw what I feel."
Post graffiti His latest pieces in black marker on white canvas, in which Laurence combines shapes and colours, unveil an intimate journey and depict graphic scenes with various themes. Populated with superimposed elements and intertwined characters in a linear layout halfway between Street Art and Cartoons, they convey his moods and sensitivity as well as his passion for civilisations and ethnic cultures. "I was lucky enough to travel the world when I was little. I criss-crossed the United States, North Africa, Egypt, and Central Europe; and in my designs, I always revive flashes from the past.” Thus can be glimpsed in the nooks and crannies of his secret garden certain symbols from the Maya period, the Inca culture and other iconic references to the Far West. Urban intimacy "At the start, we hadn’t planned to sell our products in the shop, we were only doing it to decorate our home", explained Laurence. Little by little, their creations attracted art deco boutiques in Casablanca, then those from Marrakech, such as Zénitude and Alchimie lointaine. Today, they create
on commission, and answer to the needs of modern art and crisp graphic art lovers. This creative ferment of ideas naturally led them to organise their first exhibition in Casablanca in November 2009, which they named "Cacophonia", showing a series of wall panels, including a painting of the Casablanca Medina, a triptych of the Place Mohammed VI and the fabulous "Casathédrale". Later on, Arnauld exhibited his drawings at the "Salon chic" within the framework of the Contemporary drawing fair in Paris in March 2010. What are they planning for the future? "We are thinking on incorporating our designs into a range of furniture as well as on fabric for a range of clothing. We are also looking to work alongside upholsterers and cabinetmakers, as well as continuing to draw.” Tinged with modernisation and urbanisation, and skilfully imbued with intimacy and depth, their pieces will never break away from instinct and the beauty of spontaneous movement. Their imagination will always take on new forms, with ever-renewed elation. ALS.Créations : +212 6 13 98 90 60 alscasa@yahoo.fr