Like ettore sottsass in italy, the japanese designer shiro kuramata was a sophisticated man who had long experience as a modernist designer prior to his involvement in the memphis experiment. Named after the famed blanche dubois from tennessee williams play a streetcar named desire, shiro kuramata s iconic miss blanche chair was first exhibited at the exhibition kagu, held during tokyo designers week at axis gallery annex in 1988, a year before its paris debut at galerie yves gastou in 1989, from where the offered lot was purchased. The shiro kuramata designs for memphis include the kyoto 1983 table of stained concrete and sally 1987, a table made of metal and broken glass. Books by ettore sottsass english and italian edition by giorgio maffei, bruno tonini, et al. Jul 17, 20 kuramata constructed the glass chair using a brandnew adhesive that could connect pieces of glass after being exposed to ultraviolet rays. For friedman bendas inaugural participation at tefaf maastricht 2020, the gallery is pleased to present an overview of early key furniture and objects by ettore sottsass, gaetano pesce, and shiro kuramata. Due to the geographical distance, he never became a core member of the group but was a regular contributor of designs to its collections. Architect and designer ettore sottsass founded the memphis group or, simply memphis in milan, italy in 1981. Masters, the final section of the exhibition, will present selections of sottsasss lesserknown late work in dialogue with pieces by four important 20thcentury artists and designers. Revolutionary pieces such as the how high the moon chair 1986 reflect the emerging dynamism and maturing creativity of postwar japan, or his ikebana, lead crystal free hand blown vase, realized by the vilca from colle di val delsa province of. Ettore sottsass italian, 19172007 was an architect and designer, labeled the godfather of italian design. Shop authentic shiro kuramata furniture and other shiro kuramata furniture from the worlds best dealers. To produce the telephone, the two formed the enorme corporation with a third friend, jean pigozzi.
By using the art newspaper website you agree to our use of cookies as described. During this decade, he designed the kyoto table 1983, made from concrete and glass, and the sally table 1987, made using metal and mosaic glass. The improbable form of the casablanca sideboard part of memphis first collection and its bold laminated decoration, inspired by popular taste of the 1950s, identified the design as postmodern. Shiro kuramata and ettore sottsass exhibition at the 2121 design sight. Shiro kuramata became famous overnight in 1977 for the sshaped, curvilinear drawer in an irregular form, a piece of storage furniture in black stained ash with the drawer fronts lacquered white. Available for sale from novalis contemporary art, shiro kuramata, sally 1987, side table in metal and glass designed in 1987, 75 cm. See more ideas about shiro, furniture design and design. The tour of the show has been supported by the nippon foundation, the japanunited states friendship commission, and the hara museum fund. Shiro kuramata sally 1987 available for sale artsy. Exhibition, tyd project shiro kuramata and ettore sottsass exhibition at the 2121 design sight. Shiro kuramata and ettore sottsass no longer stocked yasuko seki ed. After spending most of world war ii in a concentration camp in yugoslavia, sottsass returned to milan, where he set up his own architectural and industrial design studio. Shiro kuramata miss blanche chair, designed 1988 phillips. His is an expressive design derived from the industrial application of materials held in stark contrast with poetic names like how high the.
Ettore sottsass and the poetry of things architecture. Hara museum of contemporary art, tokyo, japan, juneseptember. Shiro kuramata is widely admired for his ability to free his designs from gravity and use materials in ways that defied convention. Ettore sottsass from vibrations in the air, 1991 materials were central to the work of shiro kuramata. His books for phaidon include living in the endless city, and monographs on john pawson and shiro kuramata. Ettore sottsass biography ettore sottsass on artnet. Both core figures in the modern history of design, shiro kuramata 19341991 and ettore sottsass 19172007 were searching for a design that would bring joy and a sense of surprise to life via different means of expression, unmindful of the functions and utility we believe objects should contain. It was in the 1980s that shiro kuramata reached the height of fame. For the first time works by the visionary japanese interior designer shiro kuramata and his lifelong friend ettore sottsass, the italian architect are.
The whimsical spirit of kuramatas designs is typical of postmodernism. Memphis is the great cultural phenomenon of the 80s that revolutionized creative and commercial logics in design. Sottsass 19172007, originally trained as an architect and worked as a design consultant for olivetti, where he developed the iconic valentine typewriter. The life and work of ettore sottsass is more relevant than ever, with exhibitions around the world and renewed collector interest in the memphis movement. Additional cooperation has been provided by japan airlines and jal hotels co. Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a page. Miss blanche 1988 by shiro kuramata all images courtesy of exite. Ettore sottsass and the poetry of things architecture generale hardcover 21 sep 2015.
The forwardlooking 20thcentury japanese designer shiro kuramata, seen here in 1979, is the subject of a comprehensive new monograph from phaidon. Apr 02, 2015 architect and designer ettore sottsass founded the memphis group or, simply memphis in milan, italy in 1981. Kuramata met sottsass in 1980 and their working relationship continued until kuramatas death. Shiro kuramata playfully stretched and skewed tropes of western design, while combining them with traditional japanese aesthetics, to produce items of furniture that are surreal, humorous, and often poetic. Kuramata became closely associated with this style in 1981 when he joined ettore sottsass s memphis group, an italian collective that. There is a small scratch to inside edge at proper front arm approximately 1 inch. Sottsasss writings, which often reference the objects that influenced him, appear.
How shiro kuramata was inspired by kubricks 2001 phaidon, december 20. Category 21st century and contemporary italian modern. Shiro kuramata born in 1934, was a versatile interior designer, furniture maker, and architect, who became one of the legendary designers of the 20 th century. Friendship was important to kuramata and it is his intimacy with ettore sottsass and the wider memphis group that brought an imagination that might have been confined to a niche avant garde to a large audience. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books. Kuramata was mainly known for his use of industrial materials such as wire steel mesh and lucite to create architectural interiors and furniture. Carlton bookcase roomdivider by ettore sottsass for memphis, 1981. Ettore sottsass and the poetry of things by deyan sudjic. Shiro kuramata glass chair, designed 1976, executed.
See more ideas about shiro, design and institute of design. Ettore sottsass new edition, by philippe thome, published by phaidon. He was inspired by ettore sottsasss playful spirit and love of bright colour and joined sottsass collective, the design group memphis, based in. Shiro kuramata furniture in irregular forms, side 1. The encounter between the two creators featured in this exhibition, shiro kuramata and ettore sottsass, was magical. After a restless childhood, his ideas of being an illustrator having been discouraged, kuramata discovered design during his time at the teikoku kizai furniture factory in arakawaku in 1954. The exhibition was made possible with special participation by ettore sottsass and the kuramata design office. Find an indepth biography, exhibitions, original artworks for sale, the latest news, and sold auction prices. A new edition of the acclaimed monograph on the legendary designer, published to coincide with the centenary of his birth. The importance of being ettore sottsass the art newspaper. The distinctly irregular forms of shiro kuramata 1stdibs. For issey miyake, shiro kuramata designed boutiques from 1984 in paris, tokyo, and new york. New yorks metropolitan museum of art has opened its doors to ettore sottsass. Shiro kuramata studied architecture at tokyo polytechnic in tokyo until 1953.
Design radical, a new exhibition set to explore and reevaluate the work of the influental 20thcentury designer on. As a play on the name of the telephone, sottsass drew a sumo wrestler to use as a corporate logo against the designer shiro kuramata s advice that the wrestler in this context exploited a japanese stereotype. Although the ways they express themselves are different, the exhibition was based on the friendship between these two men, who brought joy and wonder into everyday life with their designs, while transcending mere functionality and. In 1988 shiro kuramata moved to paris, where he set up a design practice in the rue royal. Shiro kuramata and ettore sottsass, the giant of italian design. Shiro kuramata unique bookcase, designed for the ishidate. Now available in a new format, this book, packed with beautiful images taken from the extensive sottsass archives and including drawings and sketches from the. All had grown disillusioned by the staid, blackandbrown corporatized modernism that had become endemic in the 1970s.
Until 1956 shiro kuramata studied interior design at the kuwazawa institute for design in tokyo in 1965 he founded his own design practice. Shiro kuramata, an icon of postmodern japanese design. In the 1980s, shiro kuramata designed numerous sensational pieces of furniture, for which he used unusual materials or invented entirely new uses. Kuramata shiro to ettore sottosasu kuramata shiro, ettore sottsass. Thats why very often shiro was trying to represent not only the object, or the furniture, or the installation but also the many mysterious vibrations that were produced around. Named after the famed blanche dubois from tennessee williams play a streetcar named desire, shiro kuramatas iconic miss blanche chair was first exhibited at the exhibition kagu, held during tokyo designers week at axis gallery annex in 1988, a year before its paris debut at galerie yves gastou in 1989, from where the offered lot was purchased. Additionally, there is a surface scuff to outside edge of proper left arm approximately 9 inches and a faint scuff to lower quadrant of front edge of back rest approximately 4 inches, all of which are consistent with a work of this age and generally not. Shiro kuramata 193491 was a truly exceptional designer of furniture and interiors. Shiro kuramata and ettore sottsass studio international. His books for phaidon include living in the endless city, and monographs on john pawson, jan kaplicky and shiro kuramata. His most recent book, b is for bauhaus was published by penguin in 2014. Mar 19, 2020 shiro kuramata see his metal mesh chair, no. Shiro kuramata was a japanese designer known for his minimalist furniture made from industrial materials. Born in austria and raised in milan, sottsass studied architecture at the politecnico di torino in turin.
Although the ways they express themselves are different, the exhibition was based on the friendship between these two men, who brought joy and wonder into everyday life with their designs, while transcending mere functionality and convenience. Then he spent a year working for teikokukizai, the japanese furniture manufacturer. The memphis group was an italian design and architecture group active 1980 1987 founded by ettore sottsass. Born from the idea of ettore sottsass and a group of young designers and architects, in milan, coupled in the years by famous designers from the international scene, memphis turned upside down all of the existing parameters on living. Book depository books with free delivery worldwide. He was inspired by ettore sottsass s playful spirit and love of bright color and joined sottsass s collective, the design group memphis, at its founding in 1981. Kuramata shiro to ettore sottosasu kuramata shiro, ettore. Ettore sottsass and the poetry of things design phaidon. Almost secret drawers between art and design idea books. Kuramata shiro ettore sottsass book memphis milano. Design museum in ghent exhibits works by revolutionary japanese designer shiro kuramata art daily. See actions taken by the people who manage and post content. As a play on the name of the telephone, sottsass drew a sumo wrestler to use as a corporate logo against the designer shiro kuramatas advice that the wrestler in this context exploited a japanese stereotype.
Memphis research, experiences, results, failures and successes of new design book 95. When kuramata received a letter from sottsass asking him to join memphis, he was so elated that he said, i got a love letter from sottsass. As one of the most important japanese designers of the 20 th century, shiro kuramata tokyo, 19341991 flaunts a broad body of work delicately melding his cultures traditional aesthetic with postmodernism and design principles of the western world. Choose from authentic shiro kuramata tables for sale on 1stdibs.
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