ROGER TALLON b. 1929 "Zombie" chair, for the A

ROGERTALLONb. 1929"Zombie" chair, for the Astrolabe Bar, Paris, ca. 1967Laquered plywood, vinyl, foam.49 ⅞ in. (126.8 cm) highLiterature
Roger Tallon, Itinéraires d'un Designer Industriel, exh. cat., Centre National d'Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou, Paris, 1993, p. 105 for a similar example;
Gilles de Bure and Chloé Braunstein, Roger Tallon, Paris, 1999, p. 55 for a similar example;
Anne Bony, Meubles et Décors des Années 60, Paris, 2003, p. 66Roger Tallon has designed a range of products such as furniture, ski boots, watches, domestic appliances and most notably the high-speed TGV train. His approach is varied but strongly rooted in industrial design. As a student of Jacques Vienot, the father of the industrial aesthetic, Tallon took Vienot's lead and exploited this industrial style. Trained as an engineer, Tallon's designs are both technically superior and aesthetically engaging.

The "Zombie" chair was designed for the Astrolabe Bar in 1967. The chair plays on the psychology of the sitter, making the user sit on a form that is similar to their own anatomy, creating the illusion of sitting on a phantom or ghost. Tallon incorporates play, humor and fantasy into his designs as the "Zombie" chair attests. The simple form of the chair is easy to access but also psychologically challenging.

Originally, the "Zombie" chair was one solid color. Soon after the bar opened, however, Tallon added the target to make the chair seem more welcoming and to direct patrons where to sit while also cleverly underscoring his original idea.