 |
July 27 - August 3,2003 |
The Continuing Quest of De Lucchi
Renowned Italian designer emphasizes personal approach in work through his furniture
By Mark Curtis
Originally Published: 2003-06-08
In 1981, the Ettore Sottsass-led Memphis design movement turned the design world on its head with a brash debut of playful designs and graphics. Even if one wasn't an ardent follower of design, it was hard to miss the Memphis design influence, which re-popularized bright colours, elements of Art Deco and even mid-century kitsch for the remainder of the decade. When the Memphis movement fizzled, however, founding member Michele De Lucchi needed a new outlet for new design explorations.
"My own desire to experiment had certainly not run out," De Lucchi has said of the dissolution of the Memphis movement. "On the contrary, I wanted more freedom and less ties in order to get to the bottom of things." Getting to the bottom of things meant establishing his own company in 1990, Produzione Privata, to focus on the production of limited run designs which would not be restricted by the dictates of industry. It is an approach he has continued. New designs introduced earlier this year include the "Meteora" wall lamp, which combines transparent glass with a prominently positioned river stone, and the "Orientale" ceiling lamp, made from mouth blown Murano glass.
De Lucchi says his Produzione Privata designs represent an experimental and avant-garde approach inspired by "entirely individual intuitions. For me this is the quest for a style, for a personal way of designing, clearly recognizable handwriting." Starting his own company has also meant working with Italian artisans, an experience De Lucchi clearly enjoys. "Italian craftsmanship, compared to that of other countries where craftsmen tend to produce fairly traditional work, has a very important role to play in avant-garde design. Helped by the manual capabilities and the flexibility and tenacity of Italian craftsmen, I can tackle even projects that would otherwise by impossible," De Lucchi says.
The Ferrara-born designer's work is not limited to the avant-garde, however. With his "Tolomeo" task lighting series for Artemide (a collaboration with Giancarlo Fassina), De Lucchi created "one of the great success stories of contemporary lighting design," said Domus magazine recently. The series was introduced in 1987 and earned Italy's coveted Compasso d'Oro two years later. The designers continue to add new models to the lighting series.
Page 1/...Page 2
|
| Home / Back to Top |
|
|
 |
|
|
</ td>
