CORY REYNOLDS | DATE 1/14/2022

Memphis meets Beat in 'Sottsass: Poltronova 1958–1974'

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."