L’Illustre Fabrique, France, graphic design

September 28th, 2007

Partfaliaz interview L’illustre Fabrique

Arnaud Kermarrec-Tortorici and Fabrice Pellé founded L’illustre Fabrique during 2004. This multi-skilled team of graphic designers has a big production of various works in the cultural area. Deeply involved in their local culture, their popularity extends much farther.

illustrportrait

There are many blogs quoting you in an eulogistic way and yet it is not possible to really find infos about you on the net… Tell us a little about your course, your team, your attachment in the West of France ?
Arnaud: We are rather autodidacts. I studied in the Beaux-Arts (Fine Art school) of Brest, but in Design section. My first achievements were posters for concerts, my implication in music led me to make some jackets and graphics for bands. It is the way I started to like it.
Fabrice: I made a pitiful school of graphics (a private one). The small jobs led me to work in printing works. In parallel, I constituted a portfolio that I presented to local agencies. Triptyck, an active studio in cultural area engaged me. As the studio needed a second graphic designer, the choice of Arnaud was essential. It is like that, after having shared local scenes of rock’n’roll, we started to work together (in 2003). Then Triptyck stopped its activity. We chose the statute of free-lance to collaborate within a collective. L’illustre Fabrique was born in June 2004.
If our geographical situation has any influence on our creations, we are not aware of it. We just like the place where we live.

bzh

Why this name “L’illustre Fabrique”?
This small pun with illustration and something like “manufactured” pleased us for his obsolete side and self derision.

I noticed that your works have only one signature, how do you carry out your collaboration? Which advantages and disadvantages do you see working at two?
We work most of the time separately. According to the desires and availability, we distribute the projects.
Creations with both of us are still exceptional, our first experiments are filling with enthusiasm and we hope to make more of it in the future.

esab

The richness of your achievements is impressive, however it seemed impossible to me to allot a style or at least a graphic affinity to one or the other, do you sometime ask contributions from other artists or are you at the origin of all your image creation?
We do affirm our disparity completely. It is a privilege to be able to change style according to your inspiration depending to the order. We entirely carry out our images ourself. It is difficult but very gratifying. Finally, it is what constitutes our freedom.

saisonfourneau

What are your favorite inspiration sources ?
The reflexion starting from lexical fields (list of words in connection with the topic). Unconscious decantation (surrealism). And painting, cinema, comics, other graphic designers and illustrators…

Is there any trend you see emerging ?
Fabrice : I wish to do illustration, my clients ask me photos : I think that it is a plot!
Arnaud : No.

What are you working on actually ?
Fabrice : A photographic installation, communication for the “Festival Européen du Film Court de Brest” and personal research.
Arnaud : The 100 years anniversary of the “École Supérieure d’Art de Brest” (an art school), programs of a concert hall, Run Ar Puñs (joint project), and outstanding, a large job of graphic charter and the communication of a company of dance.

What do you do when you don’t work ?
Fabrice : I practice skateboard, I create names for rock bands and I repeat to myself I need to play drums more often.
Arnaud : I spend time with my wife, we organise concerts, I play drums in a rock band, I would like to play guitar sometime…

Did you plan any update of your site ?
Yes… and no ! It’s hard to find time.

L’illustre fabrique’s favorites

Music :
31 Knots / Lack/Pinback / Fugazi / Battles / The Ex / Einstürzende Neubauten / John Vanderslice / John Frusciante / Zu / Depeche Mode / Television / Dead Kennedys / Ziggy Stardust / Grandaddy / Parts and Labour / Refused…

Cinema :
Punch Dunk Love (Paul-Thomas Anderson) / Andreï Roublev / 6 Feet Under / Mulholland Drive / Dead Man…

Litterature :
Simon Vestdjik / Antonin Artaud / Blutch / Kennedy Toole / Brautigan / Strindberg…

other :
Our lovers, our houses and pets, to meet for biking et les goûters, Ocean Howell, Mark Gonzales

Artists :
Stephan Sagmeister / Nate Williams / Mattotti / Marino Marini / Mickael Ackerman / Rip Hopkins / Andreas Hykade / Shelton Sheppard / Nigel Evan Dennis…