Incollect Magazine - Issue 6

Incollect Magazine 25 distinctive by the consistency of its vocabulary,” she explains. “The use of a unique chosen material, whether wood, metal or other, there is this attention to simplicity which highlights the vulnerability of the gesture. With this approach, the viewer can glimpse at something unknown, feel the thrill of discovery and reflect on one's vulnerability. His works offer the pleasure of surprise without being intrusive.” There is something true about this. Looking at Jarrige’s Leda lamp in the main room at Goodman’s gallery in New York one is immediately struck by the sense of what can only be described as unexpected movement, coupled with the quiet balancing of the shade atop the irregular base, the sudden reflection of the light or a shadow that brings the surroundings alive. There is discovery and vulnerability, even beauty. Goodman was introduced to Jarrige by a common friend. “We met in Paris in June 2009 as I was planning to open my gallery and focus on contemporary artists and designers. He showed me his current body of work, the Cloud series and we immediately connected. I then visited his home where I discovered the depth of his work spanning 30 years.” Goodman has so much faith in Jarrige that in 2015 she invited him to design the interior of her home in the Hudson Valley area. “It was an extraordinary experience because I had never owned a house or bothered to decorate one before,” she says. “Circumstances were right and it ended up being a first for me and Jacques who had done renovations before but never to that extent, a whole house and everything in it.” The home gives a unique window into how the artist sees his collectible design and lighting pieces within a domestic context. Most striking, initially, is how informally relaxed everything looks. The simplicity of the forms, and lack of clutter gives the viewer both the space and time to interact, to slow down, and with each passing moment reassess a viewpoint and relationship to the objects in rooms. “There is always more to see at any given time in any of his pieces,” Goodman says, “I never get bored.” Valerie Goodman’s home, Piermont, New York. Photo: Antoine Bootz