One of the most famous Italian designers of all time: Who is Ettore Sottsass?
He was called the nobleman of the Italian design world. However, this definition is based on the works of the 20th century, which turned modernism upside down and was rigid. It seemed like an insult to Sottsass, who was almost scornful of 19th-century functionalism.
Especially considering the sexy red Valentine typewriter he designed for Olivetti in 1970. The Chicago Tribune said of Sotsass, who worked not only on furniture but also on materials such as ceramics, jewelry, glass, and silver, "He is like a very strong drug."
His loved ones;
Taking photos of temple billboards, barber shop signs;
What he doesn't like is;
20th-century functionalism.
He died in Milan in 2007.
Ettore Sottsass (Innsbruck, Austria 14 September 1917 – Milan, Italy 31 December 2007) was a 20th-century Italian architect, noted for also designing furniture, jewellery, glass, lighting, home and office wares, as well as numerous buildings and interiors — often defined by bold colours.
Ettore Sottsass died at his home in Malta on 31.12.2007, at the age of 90.
Who is Ettore Sottsass?
Born in Innsbruck, Austria, in 1917, Sottsass accomplished numerous works as an architect, industrial product designer, and design philosopher throughout his long career. Sottsass, who has been working with famous Italian companies such as Poltranova, Olivetti, and Alessi since 1939, when he graduated from Torina Polytechnic University while continuing his work in the private design studio he founded in 1945, worked for Global Tools in 1973, Studio Alchimia in 1976 and in 1980. By founding architectural groups such as Memphis, he proved to be a pioneer of contemporary Italian design.
Among the important designs Sottsass created throughout his career, the glossy plastic 'cult' Valentine typewriter he designed for Olivetti, the Synthesis 45 office furniture, the Teodora armchair, and the Mobili Grigi lamp are just a few memorable examples.
Sottsass, who uses a wide range of materials in his designs, from aluminum to ceramics, from tropical wood to glass, made a name for himself, especially with the assertive colors he preferred. Sottsass, who created many of these products together with Memphis, described his relationship with colors as follows:
"Every color has a history. For example, red is a flag for a communist; when he sees a doctor, he understands that he needs to be faster, and it is also the color of passion."
Throughout his career, he tried to break the static structure that people understand from design and to stay outside of what he defined as the 'hierarchical-bureaucratic structures of the industry'. Sottsass, who also worked with famous designers such as Aldo Cibic, James Irvine, Hans Hollein, and Michael Graves, was inspired by Art Deco, pop art, and Japanese Postmodernism in his works. The architect, who managed to become the center of attention of collectors during his time with his poetic and 'irreverent' designs, worked to ensure that his works were 'officially isolated from the ethnic structure of the ownership'.
It can be said that Sottsass summarized his attitude toward design with these words: "I don't even care about designing elegant and attractive objects; I am even less interested in making 'quiet' objects that make the viewer feel safe in his spiritual and cultural position."
In 2006, Sottsass was honored with retrospective exhibitions called Work In Progress at the Philadelphia and Los Angeles Museums of Art, and his 90th birthday was celebrated with a two-legged exhibition/event called I Want To Know Why, held in Trieste, Italy.