Mindsurfing with FRANCK VIDOFF

FRANCK VIDOFF is the co-founder of Anonymes Associés, a French design collective. AA creates unique works that intersect art, architecture and spirituality; working exclusively in a black & white palette and employing modern materials like Corian, the duo brings innovative and tranquil new possibilities to home design. Franck is also the owner of Paris’ über-hip hair salon BLONDE by Franck Vidoff, a cozy haven for blondes, which has also become a buzzing hotspot in recent years for women in the arts and entertainment industries. Franck, an accomplished Bikram Yoga instructor, calmly reigns over his contemporary art-filled, bustling & creative salon while his clients casually trade business cards over bowls of bleach.

WHAT WAS YOUR VERY FIRST SOURCE OF INSPIRATION?

Religious iconography. Every Sunday we would go to church where I would be mesmerized by the Pietà, the crucifix, the stained-glass windows, the painted frescoes. The Catholic Church was in essence my first art ‘museum’.

Later, I fell in love with the work of Donald Judd. My current design sensibilities are a mix of these two strong influences…minimalism and spirituality. I am interested in the notions of contemplation and introspection, and am currently exploring the creation of a modern version of the Stations of the Cross.

WHICH OF YOUR 5 SENSES IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU?

Sight. Without hesitation. If I see a blind person in the street, I am gripped with anxiety. Sight is primordial to me. I enjoy quiet and am very introspective by nature, so my other senses could be shut down without too much trauma, but without sight, I would be lost. Sitting in silent observation is one of my greatest pleasures.

HOW DO YOU ACCESS YOUR CREATIVITY?

I don’t really have a ritual. It’s more like a pressure that mounts. I go about my regular business and inside there’s a sense of ‘building up’, like a glass filling progressively with water, and then one day it simply spills over and must be expressed concretely, creatively.

I also find that my creativity surges most when I am doing nothing at all…on a train, riding in a car, whenever there is quiet and lulling movement, my brain unplugs and it’s in that moment that creativity rushes in.

WHAT IS THE FIRST WORD THAT COMES TO YOUR MIND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS IMAGE?

A cartoon fox that has been pressed by a steamroller and transformed into a carpet for a very high-concept apartment.