André Sornay

André Sornay was a French designer and decorator born in Lyon in 1902. He is one of the leading representatives of the Art Deco style in France.

His Biography

André Sornay was a French designer and decorator born in Lyon in 1902. He is one of the leading representatives of the Art Deco style in France. His work blends the world of modernity, technical ingenuity, the aesthetics of his grained wood veneers, and the rigor of his lines. He began his artistic career in 1918 at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Lyon , where he intended to pursue a career as an illustrator. During his time at school, he met several renowned architects and painters, such as Louis Weckerlin, Louis Piessat, Ristich, and Antoine Chartres. It was then his teacher who introduced him to the modernist movement, a symbol of Sornay’s avant-garde movement.
After his father’s death in 1919, he took over the family business, which was then dedicated to the fabric and furniture trade and the production of period furniture. He reimagined it by offering furniture with modern and clean lines. At that time, he was still a novice in the field of cabinetmaking and quickly learned about furniture design to create his own style. This new approach quickly attracted customers. He produced unique pieces, in accordance with the client’s request, sometimes produced in two or three copies.  He attracted the curiosity of Tony Garnier in 1923, at the Salon d’Automne in Lyon, where he exhibited a bedroom design proposal, original in its geometric shapes, its straightness and its immaculate white color. Two years later, he exhibited at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris , in Tony Garnier’s pavilion.

In 1932, he registered his first patent: nailing, known as the “furniture panel system and its method of assembly,” which is reminiscent of airplane rivets. This technique is Sornay’s flagship trademark. It consists of using thin plywood panels, covered with wood species, assembled on a solid frame with metal tips (copper, brass, iron, or aluminum). These lines of nails highlight the structure of the frame and then become a true decoration.

In 1937, his ingenuity was finally recognized. He was crowned king of Art Deco in the preface to the interview he received in the April issue of Notre Carnet. He was subsequently chosen to represent Lyon at the International Exhibition of Arts and Technology in Modern Life in Paris.  In his creations, Sornay also drew inspiration from the automobile industry. He used the assembly line method of production, where each worker performed a specific operation one after the other. He also reused industrial rubber, used primarily for car running boards. He used it for the bases of his furniture, to ensure its resistance to shocks and wear.

In 1953, he filed a patent for a quick and functional assembly method called the “Sornay tigette.” It characterizes the “kit” furniture, widely used today by all major furniture stores.  André Sornay is today recognized as a major player in avant-garde art. He occupies the forefront of the national and international scene through various sites: the Biennale des Antiquaires, the Pavillon des Arts et du Design, PAD London, The Salon NY, Fine Art Asia and Design Miami/Basel.
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