Panton, Paulin, Pesce, three designers ...

I chose the letter P to introduce three major designers of the 20th century that I particularly admire. First, I will introduce one of the oddest designer of his time, I named Verner Panton, then continue with the french touch of Pierre Paulin and the experimental art of Gaetano Pesce.

Verner PANTON

Verner Panton was born in Denmark in 1926 and got a diploma in architecture. At the beginning of his career, he worked as an assistant of Arne Jacobsen before opening his own studio in 1955. Quickly he created non conformist pieces of furniture such as the K1 Cone chair. The most famous creation remains the Panton chair created from one piece of plastic that he realized in the 1960's, still produced today by Vitra, and seen as a technically and aesthetically sophisticated concept. Along his career, he created flowing, stunning plastic forms, futuristic creations, and was considered as the most controversial designer in Denmark. He died in 1998. To see the object of Verner Panton, click here

Pierre PAULIN

Pierre Paulin was born in Paris in 1927, he created his first chairs for Thonet and realized in the meantime his most innovative creations for Artifort. His chairs reflect the natural forms of nature, the sculptural and soft shapes characterize his organic style. His favourite materials was the foam that he covered with textile or leather. Along his career he was influenced by Arne Jacobsen and later by Ron Arad. In the 70's, he was comissionned to design furniture for the office of Georges Pompidou and François Mitterand, the french presidents of that time. His design sees a revival and remains a source of inspiration for modern designers. To see the objects of Pierre Paulin, click here

Gaetano PESCE

Gaetano Pesce was born in la Spezia in 1939. He started his career as an artist before becoming a designer. He got famous in the 60's with his anthropomorphic Up chairs and became a leader of the Radical Design Movement. Since the 80's, even if his innovative products are mass-produced they are not identical, and this concept applies to many of his creations such as the nobody's perfect furniture collection. With now 40 years of career, he is considered as one of the most experimental and provocative designer, playing with colors and disorder in the forms and materials. Since 1980's he moved to New York to focus on architecture, while still producing surprising artworks. To see the objects of Gaetano Pesce, click here

Furniture designers, and glassware manufacturer

Our art gallery counts products from the greatest artists and the best manufacturers of our times, I have decided to introduce you few of them in few lines.
Have a closer look to the artworks and modern creations of italian furniture designer and glass manufacturer.

Ettore Sottsass

Born in Austria, Ettore Sottsass graduates in architecture in 1939 and starts his career as an architect in Milan in the late 1940’s.

In the 1950’s he becomes famous for the design of Elea 2003, the first Italian-made computer for Olivetti, using a friendly interface and a modern look. Promoted senior consultant, he designs for Olivetti many successful products.
In the 1960’s he develops his artistic skills, creates many provocative anti-bourgeois artworks to block the Radical Design Movement. He exhibits at the MOMA New York few years later and takes part of Anti-Design movement.

But it is in 1981 that Ettore creates for the avant-garde Memphis Design Group (that he has co-founded) the colourful laminated Carlton Room Divider, now an icon in Modern furniture, but also in 1982 silverware products like the Murmansk fruit bowl. He later founds the Sottsass associati, a design studio dedicated to creations of consumer goods. During his career, he works for renowned companies such as Alessi, Artemide, Knoll, Poltronova, Vitra, Zumtobel.

Alessandro Mendini

Born in Milan in 1931, Alessandro Mendini graduates in architecture in 1959 in Milan. He works for Zanotta and Alessi for many years and for Olivetti in the 1960’s.

In the 1970’s he starts criticizing the established Design culture and writes articles for Casabella, Modo and Domus, magazine for which he becomes managing editor until 1985. He supports strongly the Global Tools avant-garde design school and the experimental design group of Studio Alchimia.

He exhibits at the Venise biennale in 1980 and opens nine years later the Atelier Mendini in Milan and the Paradise Tower in Hiroshima. His work includes many artworks for Venini, Zanotta, Swatch.

Considered as one of the most controversial artists of the revolutionary Design movement, he is famous for the Proust armchair 1978, the Alessandro M. corkscrew and the Grande Alzata vase for Venini in 2003.

Paolo Venini

Born in Milan in 1895, Paolo Venini associates to Giacomo Cappelin and opens a glassworks in the Venetian island of Murano. They soon represents the avant-garde glass blowing figures, and creates vases, sculptures, and many other artworks in opposition with the exuberant Venetian art of the time.
Acclaimed in the 1920’s at the exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels in Paris in 1925, Paolo Venini remains the only proprietor. He then collabores with the greatest artists and glass blowers to produce innovative artworks and to develop new techniques together withhis artistic director Martinuzzi Napoleone such as the pelugoso glass (tiny air bubbles).
In the 1940’s and 1950’s, Glassworks of Carlo Scarpa, such as the murrine serpente plate, chandeliers of Gio Ponti and vases of Fulvio Bianconi contributes to the fame of Venini.

Paolo Venini dies in 1959, his son in law takes over the business and uses the same strategy collaborating with great figures of Italian design : Ettore Sottsass, Alessandro Mendini, Versace and many more.

Source the AZ of modern design, ed.Merrell