• CALENDAR
    • Add Your Event
  • architecture
    • art & literature
    • awards
    • buildings
    • sustainable
    • prefabricated
    • public space
    • residences
    • urban planning
  • design
    • art & literature
    • awards
    • collectables
    • concept
    • fashion
    • sustainable
    • home
    • lifestyle
    • safety & special needs
    • transportation
    • workplace
  • editor’s pick
    • featured
    • gift ideas.
    • interviews
    • opinion
  • events
    • auctions
    • competitions
    • conference & Exhibitions
    • fairs
  • news
    • latest news
    • elsewhere
    • lifestyle
    • people
    • producer
    • retailer
DesignApplauseDesignApplauseyour daily design dose
  • CALENDAR
    • Add Your Event
  • architecture
    • art & literature
    • awards
    • buildings
    • sustainable
    • prefabricated
    • public space
    • residences
    • urban planning
  • design
    • art & literature
    • awards
    • collectables
    • concept
    • fashion
    • sustainable
    • home
    • lifestyle
    • safety & special needs
    • transportation
    • workplace
  • editor’s pick
    • featured
    • gift ideas.
    • interviews
    • opinion
  • events
    • auctions
    • competitions
    • conference & Exhibitions
    • fairs
  • news
    • latest news
    • elsewhere
    • lifestyle
    • people
    • producer
    • retailer

Olivetti

Home Tag Olivetti
friedman benda exhibits ettore sottsass: 1955 >1969.

friedman benda exhibits ettore sottsass: 1955 >1969.

Sep 9, 2015

sottass-friedman1

Friedman Benda opened its eighth season with Ettore Sottsass 1955-1969. The fourth in a series devoted to the expansive oeuvre of the groundbreaking Italian architect – designer Ettore Sottsass (1917‐2007), the exhibition ten years in the making will explore the breadth of Sottsass’ remarkable creativity in the early stages of his career. With a display of unique ceramics, rare furniture and lighting, and vintage photographs never before seen in the United States, the exhibition will also be the first in a newly configured exhibition space for Friedman Benda in Chelsea.

sottsass-friedman2

The showing serves as a gateway to understanding an extremely diverse and fertile 15-year period in Italian design and art, which precedes the years of Radical Design. These are the formative years for the designer who used ceramics as a laboratory for developing a new language of design. Rare ceramics on view will include work from every important series of this period and several are derived from Sottsass’s memories and reflections  of his travels to India, to the U.S., and from personal life experiences. 

sottsass-friedman3

sottsass-friedman5

Among them  will be examples of Lava (1957), Tondi (1959), and Tenebre (1963), the designer’s “Darkness” series in somber tones with  mandala – like  imagery, conceived during a protracted illness. Others will be from Shiva  (1964), a series celebrating his return to good health with homage to the Indian deity, the great conqueror of death, and from the Tantra (1968), and Fumo (1969), series. All of these works have been extensively published and collected by museums worldwide.

sottsass-friedman6

Furniture and lighting will also include major one‐of‐a‐kind pieces: the first showing in the United States of a bookshelf made for a director of Olivetti; front slatted rosewood  cabinets, one in white and one in red; and examples of mirrors and lighting designed for Arredoluce. Sottsass, who worked in a variety of media, produced many of these works for his patrons, while others were created as artistic expressions in his studio practice.

above> click on image to engage slideshow – 17 slides

sottsass-portrait1

[ ettore sottsass ] (1917 – 2007) was an Italian architect and designer. His body of designs included furniture, jewelry, glass, lighting and office machine designs.

In 1956, Ettore Sottsass began working as a design consultant for Olivetti, designing office equipment, typewriters, and furniture where made his name as a designer who, through color, form and styling, managed to bring office equipment into the realm of popular culture. In office equipment his iconic Valentine typewriter (1969) became a fashion statement.

His work from the late 60s to the 70s was defined by experimental collaborations with younger designers such as Superstudio and Archizoom Associati, and association with the Radical movement, culminating in the foundation of Memphis.

In 1980 Sottsass Associati was established, primarily an architectural practice, although also designed elaborate stores and showrooms for Esprit, identities for Alessi, exhibitions, interiors, consumer electronics in Japan and furniture of all kinds.attracted attention world wide for its energy and flamboyance.

exhibit > ettore sottsass: 1955 -1969
venue > friedman benda | 515 west 26th street | new york | 212 239 8700
dates> 10 september > 17 october 2015

[ #FriedmanBenda ] [ instagram ] [ facebook ]

Olivetti manual typewriter.

May 27, 2009

olivetti2
olivetti3
olivetti1I came across an olivetti typewriter for sale on ( surprising to me ) urban outfitters.
The typewriter and company brought back memories of ad campaigns running from the 50s – 70s. It’s where I discovered Italian design, Milton Glazer, Walter Balmer.

olivetti4

above: designed by giovanni pintori for the olivetti saldiermaschinen via ninonbooks
olivetti5
above: designed by giovanni pintori for the olivetti studio 44 via ninonbooks
olivetti6

above: designed by ettore sottsass for the olivetti valentine – 1969 ( note various artists commissioned to the valentine, branding 101 ) via ninonbooks
olivetti7

above: designed by milton glaser for the olivetti valentine – 1969 via ninonbooks
olivetti11

above: designed by Egidio Bonfante for the Olivetti Valentine – 1970 via ninonbooks
olivetti12

above: designed by yoshitaro isaka for the olivetti valentine – 1969 via ninonbooks
olivetti8

above: designed by paul rand for the olivetti lettera 22 – 1953 via ninonbooks

olivetti13
above: designed by Walter Ballmer for the Olivetti Lettera 32 – 1964 (christmas) via ninonbooks
olivetti14

above: 1957 Christmas print ad for Olivetti Typewriters. via ninonbooks
olivetti9

above: designed by roberto pieracini for the olivetti exhibition via ninonbooks
olivetti10
above: designed by walter ballmer for the olivetti exibition – 1961 via ninonbooks

Producer: Olivetti ( today ) ( Olivetti ( wikipedia )) many many more images via ninonbooks

olivetti15
above: adriano olivetti

Editor’s note: this post inspires more research… Some employees of Getronics Italia ( who bought Olivetti ) have asked Beppe Grillo to give visibility to their story. Goodbye computer industry.
olivetti17
above: sketch of the famous ‘valentina’ typewriter by ettore sottsass

More…
grain edit
vi.sualize.us
iso50 blog
100 years of olivetti in italy
the invisible agent
george lois ( i like lois but “agency vision” gets brain cramp )
advertising archives
973 third avenue
typewriter museum
olivetti portable typewriter gallery
olivetti, una bella società
camillo olivetti
ivrea and olivetti
associazione archivio storico olivetti

<a href="527-ronscope200about ron kovach

Contact Us

We're currently offline. Send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap.

Send Message
DesignApplause

your daily design dose

Follow Us


about us
contact/help
privacy policy

ADVERTISEMENT

LATEST NEWS

  • a man for all reasons brit architect/designer david chipperfield wins 2023 pritzker architecture prize.
  • the beginning is the most important part of the work. hello 2023.
  • 40m zero-emission domus redefines trimaran concept.
  • this glass is for the birds migratory birds that is.
  • 2023 all-electrifying timeless instant recognition porsche taycan.

All content ©2007 > 2022 DesignApplause