Book Description

Italian architect and designer Ettore Sottsass is celebrated internationally for his contribution to architecture, industrial and furniture design, ceramics, jewelry, crafts, graphic design, and photography. He founded the Memphis group, and through its startling, eclectic and irreverent aesthetic he dominated furniture and interior style for over a decade. Almost every area of modern design displays his influence. Featuring over 100 full-page illustrations - photographs, architectural drawings, sketches, collages - this monograph explores Sottsass's work in all his many fields of activity, including his world-famous office products for Olivetti, and his colorful Memphis furniture. Barbara Radice, a long-time companion of Sottsass, gives a sensitive account of his life and work, drawing on her keen understanding of his talents, personality, preoccupations, likes and dislikes. She outlines his working methods, describes the inspiration he draws from popular culture, follows him on his constant travels, and explains the interactions necessary for his long-term responsibilities at Olivetti's design division. This is a splendidly complete summary of the career and achievement of Ettore Sottsass, one of the most stimulating, innovative, inspired and entertaining in modern times. Barbara Radice is the editor of Terrazzo and regular contributor to several Italian art and design magazines. She was co-author of Sottsass Associates (1989).