What is interesting about Ettore Sottsass designs?
The Austrian-born, Italian-based designer Ettore Sottsass (1917-2007) was a rebel with a cause. As a counter-force to Modernism, his designs raged against a post-war rationalist approach that largely excluded emotional values by prizing function above form.
What made Ettore Sottsass famous?
Ettore Sottsass was a grandee of late 20th century Italian design. Best known as the founder of the early 1980s Memphis collective, he also designed iconic electronic products for Olivetti, as well as beautiful glass and ceramics.
What technologies did Ettore Sottsass use?
Sottsass experimented with the new material fibreglass and used it to develop contemporary furniture and lighting. Fibreglass furniture for Poltronova in 1970. Sottsass’s versatility gave him the ability to design and create products in a variety of very different materials.
What did Ettore Sottsass not like?
Though Sottsass has been considered the group’s leader, that is not a position Sottsass would have wanted to take on. “He detested any type of institution or hierarchy,” the designer’s widow, Barbara Radice, once noted. “He didn’t like anything that told you what to do.
Why did Sottsass like the name Memphis?
For Sottsass, the name “Memphis” represented two things: a city in Tennessee, and ancient Egypt’s capital city. The group of designers then went ahead and used the ambiguity behind the name “Memphis” to represent and symbolise their own ambiguous design philosophies of furniture, objects and textiles.
Who designed the Bel Air Chair?
Peter Shire
Chair, wood frame with cotton upholstery and painted wood, asymmetrical back, ‘Bel Air’, designed by Peter Shire, 1982, produced by Memphis, Milan, 1984.
What is Memphis design famous for?
Highly influential 80s design Their style was inspired by Art Deco and Pop Art styles, which were popular at the time. Memphis were well-known for their use of bright colours, geometric shapes and bold patterns.
When was the Bel Air Chair made?
1982
Chair, wood frame with cotton upholstery and painted wood, asymmetrical back, ‘Bel Air’, designed by Peter Shire, 1982, produced by Memphis, Milan, 1984….Bel Air.
| Artist/Maker | Shire, Peter (designer) Memphis (producer) |
|---|---|
| Place Of Origin | Los Angeles (designed) Milan (manufactured) |
Who is Peter Shire?
Peter Shire (American, b. 1947) is a ceramic artist associated with the Milan-based Memphis design group and is best known for brightly-colored, geometric teapots and furniture designs. Born in Los Angeles, CA, he studied ceramics at the Chouinard Institute before starting his own studio in 1972.
Why is it called Memphis style?
Designer Ettore Sottsass founded the Memphis Group with other designers and architects. They took their name from a Bob Dylan song titled Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again which was played on repeat during their first meeting.
Who created Memphis art?
designer Ettore Sottsass
Forming the group. Italian designer Ettore Sottsass founded the group during a late December meeting in 1980 with close friends who were architects and designers, including Nathalie du Pasquier, Alessandro Mendini, Michele De Lucchi, and Ettore Sottsass.
What do you need to know about Ettore Sottsass?
Here are ten things you need to know about Ettore Sottsass. 1. He Was Imprisoned In A Concentration Camp After graduating from the Politecnico di Torino with a degree in Architecture in 1939, Sottsass entered the army.
What happened to Ettore Sottsass After the war?
After the war, Ettore Sottsass returned home to Turin and joined his architect father in the reconstruction efforts to rebuild old buildings damaged by the war.
When did Ettore Sottsass become an architect?
In 1980, Ettore Sottsass established Sottsass Associati with the intention to build larger-scale architectural projects as well as to design for large international corporations. But it was not until 1985, when Sottsass left the Memphis Group, that he returned to focus on his architectural practice at Sottsass Associati.
Who is Sottsass?
There Sottsass made his name as a designer who, through colour, form and styling, managed to bring office equipment into the realm of popular culture. His first typewriters, the Tekne 3 and the Praxis 48, were characterized by their sobriety and their angularity.