«The table can and should surprise and interest. It will be the first impact that the guests receive before starting the meal, as if it were the overture of an opera ». A comparison made by two experts in what the French call ‘l´art de la table’, Javier Bahamonde and Santiso de Ossorio and Tata García-Osende and Botana. Both have shaped the book ‘Passion for the table. An ephemeral architecture’ (Turner), in which they share their dedication to a discipline that they have nurtured for three decades.
Javier and Tata have lived between two continents and traveled to various places, which has given them the opportunity to acquire a multitude of special pieces to give new life to at their table. Acquisitions to which others of family origin were added. A potpourri of wonderful objects with which they try to “combine the traditional with the new without giving in to clichés, always fleeing from dogmatism imposed by whims or fashions, open to all possibilities and creating ensembles that often break the mold.” Because, as both insist, “in table art almost everything is interchangeable.”
«We conceive the table as an exponent of total but ephemeral art, since its existence is marked by the always scarce time in which a lunch or dinner takes place», the authors comment on the fleeting moment in which the table «can reach the category of a work of art that enriches the personal and intellectual pleasure of conversation and gastronomic enjoyment. A large part of the most relevant events of our lives take place around the table, which is why, they say, “it is an ideal place to make true the maxim that living surrounded by beautiful things is living twice”. Reason why they like to put their creativity and know-how into practice on a daily basis, something that on special occasions lends itself to the construction of exceptional assemblies.
One of the tables proposed in the book ‘Passion for the table. An ephemeral architecture’ (Turner).
Oscar Companioni
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Montages that can be enjoyed in his book, divided into the four seasons, and made from a historical, artistic and compositional point of view. A feast for the eyes through the careful images of almost fifty tables, ranging from large sets with a theatrical and sumptuous effect, to inspiring intimate and suggestive tables. Among the latter, some with which to recover old traditions that have been lost, such as the afternoon tea ritual.
«Our interest in the art of the table has led us to delve into the study of the history of decorative arts and its vicissitudes, among which stand out -they explain- the efforts to import Chinese porcelain techniques to Europe, the interrelationships art propitiated by the different companies of the Indies, the influence of Flemish lace in Spain or the prominence that the different royal glass factories achieved in the European courts».
Book cover.
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A journey through outstanding porcelain tableware, some of them unique, from Wedgwood, Vista Alegre, Sèvres or Satsuma; pieces of crystal and glass from the Baccarat, Bohemian, Murano or La Granja factories, works by relevant goldsmiths such as Asprey, Jacobsen or Tiffany; lace and textiles from Camariñas, Brussels or Fortuny; and pieces of contemporary production, which give variety and freshness to the compositions.
An explosion of colour, variety and compositional analysis, which makes this work an enjoyment and a source of knowledge, as it is accompanied by interesting historical pills, anecdotes about the different pieces and didactic comments on the evolution of the art of table. All this to create an experience that remains engraved in the retina of the reader.
#history #art #fine #dining