Born in Da Lat, Vietnam in 1938, Gilles Larrain, the great great grand son of Paul Blanchy, first mayor of Saigon from 1895 to 1901, and the first producer of pepper in Viet Nam, started in education at the Lycée Français de New York from 1954 to 1957, before who went through the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts (architecture), in Paris from 1960 to 1965, and one of the pioneers in kinetic art in the 1960s, using air, smoke, light, water and neon tubes. He later became a photographer and artist in Soho, Manhattan, where he realized among other works well-known posters of Miles Davis, Sting and Billy Joel. He also photographed John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Jerry Rubin and Salvador Dalí, and created record covers for Sting, Miles Davis and Billy Joel. Gilles has since become a great follower of flamenco, even taking up the guitar. Shortly after New York’s fashion designer Louda entered his life, Larrain began to organize regular Art Salon Parties where both new and confirmed artists meet, together with willing amateurs.
In an April 2010 article in Vice Magazine, photographer Ryan McGinley identified Gilles Larrain as one of his early influences with his Idols photography book (1973).

James Vogel Frequented the Salon events and has shown his work in Gilles Gallery.