The decade that forged the Sottsass look: on the legendary designer’s ’60s collaboration with the Poltronova company
The decade of collaboration between the Italian designer and architect Ettore Sottsass (1917–2007) and Tuscan furniture company Poltronova from 1960 to 1970 marked a phase of almost total freedom for the designer. The breadth of this era, both rich in creations and decisive in establishing the designer's style, is now accessible in this analysis of Sottsass' work, augmented with advertising photos from the period, annotated sketches and his personal photographs. In 1956, at the request of the painter and sculptor Sergio Camilli, Sottsass became the artistic director of Poltronova, Camilli’s new furniture company. Sottsass then created Poltronova’s logo and produced its first catalogs. The vibrant, playful Poltronova catalogs express his experimentation with geometric shapes, mixes of materials and vibrant colors. The brand became a true standard bearer of Italian creation, collaborating with renowned artists such as Max Ernst. This beautiful catalog, designed in a characteristic Sottsass style, serves as both a guide to all the pieces that he designed with Poltronova and also a celebration of the master’s playful spirit in wood, steel, marble and every material he could implement to construct his iconic chairs, cabinets, mirrors and more.
Featured image is reproduced from 'Sottsass: Poltronova 1958–1974.'
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Reproduced from new release, Sottsass: Poltronova 1958–1974, on the legendary Italian industrial designer's '60s collaboration with the adventurous Tuscan furniture company, the iconic 1968 Asteroide table lamp was influenced by Sottsass's concept of America, where he perceived "the landscape was a brand-new mix of extrahuman materials: crystal, chrome and aluminium. A collage of industrial products of diverse colors." While visiting the United States, Sottsass met many influential poets and writers of the Beat generation, author Ivan Mietton writes. "Influenced by the Eastern philosophies of Buddhism and Tantrism, the Beat members Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs advocated total social, political and sexual freedom. They followed the precepts of Tantra, which encourages practices that create spiritual experiences and higher states of consciousness. In the middle of the sexual revolution, Sottsass’s Asteroid celebrates the phallus. This piece illuminates its surroundings with blue or pink, creating a supernatural atmosphere." continue to blog
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FORMAT: Hbk, 9.5 x 12 in. / 208 pgs / 200 color. LIST PRICE: U.S. $54.00 LIST PRICE: CANADA $73 ISBN: 9782370741684 PUBLISHER: Skira AVAILABLE: 1/4/2022 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Active AVAILABILITY: In stock TERRITORY: NA LA
The decade that forged the Sottsass look: on the legendary designer’s ’60s collaboration with the Poltronova company
Published by Skira. Edited by Ivan Mietton.
The decade of collaboration between the Italian designer and architect Ettore Sottsass (1917–2007) and Tuscan furniture company Poltronova from 1960 to 1970 marked a phase of almost total freedom for the designer. The breadth of this era, both rich in creations and decisive in establishing the designer's style, is now accessible in this analysis of Sottsass' work, augmented with advertising photos from the period, annotated sketches and his personal photographs.
In 1956, at the request of the painter and sculptor Sergio Camilli, Sottsass became the artistic director of Poltronova, Camilli’s new furniture company. Sottsass then created Poltronova’s logo and produced its first catalogs. The vibrant, playful Poltronova catalogs express his experimentation with geometric shapes, mixes of materials and vibrant colors.
The brand became a true standard bearer of Italian creation, collaborating with renowned artists such as Max Ernst. This beautiful catalog, designed in a characteristic Sottsass style, serves as both a guide to all the pieces that he designed with Poltronova and also a celebration of the master’s playful spirit in wood, steel, marble and every material he could implement to construct his iconic chairs, cabinets, mirrors and more.
