Ettore Sottsass (14 September 1917 – 31 December 2007) was an Italian architect and designer, born in Innsbruck Austria but grew up in Turin. Sottsass’ work included furniture, jewellery, glass, lighting, home objects, office machine design, buildings, and interiors.
His father was also an architect, and belonged to the modernist architect group Movimiento Italiano per l’architecture Razionale (MIAR) led by Giuseppe Pagano. Sottsass (Jr.) graduated in 1939 with a degree of architecture but then served in the Italian military after that. Once he returned home, Sottsass worked as an architect with his father, creating new modernist versions of buildings that were destroyed in the war.
In 1947, Sottsass set up his own architectural and industrial design studio in Milan, and here he created work in all sorts of different media such as ceramic, painting, sculpture, furniture, photography, jewelry, architecture and interior design.
From 1954 to 1957 Sottsass was a member of the International Movement for an Imaginist Bauhaus. He also had an exhibition on his ceramics in 1956.
In 1957, Sottsass joined Poltronova, a semi-industrial producer of contemporary furniture, as a consultant. The furniture he worked on there influenced his layer works with Memphis Milano.
Ettore Sottsass was one of the most influential figures in the postmodernist movement and popularized Italian industrial design.
Personally, I am not a fan of the post modernism movement, as I find it neither functional or aesthetically pleasing. Some furniture from the movement is original and I think it would look cool as an art piece, but as a design movement it is probably my least favourite.
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