Gaetano Pesce was of a generation of Italian architects who in the early 1960s rebelled against the industrial perfection of modernism by conceiving new furniture and objects that were at once expressive and eccentric in form; or you might say they were more like art than functionalist design.
Born in the picturesque coastal Italian city of La Spezia in 1939, Pesce was a precocious talent who could have forged a career as an artist but opted instead to go to Venice to study architecture because, as he has said, it was “the most complex of all the arts.” Rather than having new worlds opened to him at design school, however, Pesce found the rationalist curriculum oppressive in its insistence on standardization and prescribed materials and technologies.
Pesce wanted to explore the latest of both materials and technologies to create objects and buildings never before imagined, with what he called “personalities” that spoke to the issues of the day. He was keen to examine ways to diversify mass production so that each manufactured work could be distinct.
In 1964, Pesce met Cesare Cassina, of the forward-looking furniture company C&B Italia in Milan (now known as B&B Italia), for whom he would create many important designs, beginning with a collection of what he called “transformational furniture” — two chairs and a loveseat — made entirely out of high-density polyurethane foam. To make the pieces easy to ship and cost-efficient, he proposed that after being covered in a stretch jersey, they be put in a vacuum, then heat-sealed flat between vinyl sheets. Once the foam was removed from its packaging, the piece returned to its original shape — hence, the name Up for the series, which debuted in 1969.
In addition to these pieces, Pesce proposed for the collection something he referred to as an “anti-armchair,” which took the shape of a reclining fertility goddess, the iconic Donna.
Producing the piece's complex form turned out to be a technical challenge. Bayer, the foam’s manufacturer, deemed it impossible to accomplish. Pesce persisted and came up with a new procedure, demonstrating not only the designer’s key role in researching the nature and potential of new materials but also his vital importance in “doubting rules.” The Up chair and accompanying ottoman were born, and they were revolutionary in more ways than one.
In the early 1970s, Pesce began exploring one of his key concepts, the idea of the industrial originals. Employing a mold without air holes, and adding a blood-red dye to the polyurethane, he cast a bookcase that resembled a demolished wall, the rough edges of the shelves and posts resulting from fissures in the material made by trapped air.
Through his research into polyurethane, Pesce figured out a way to make a loveseat and armchair using only a simple wood frame and strong canvas covering as a mold. Since the fabric developed random folds during the injection process, the pieces were similar but not identical. Cassina named the suite of furnishings Sit Down and introduced it in 1975. By experimenting with felt soaked in polyurethane and resin, Pesce conceived I Feltri, another collection of armchairs introduced by Cassina in 1987.
Pesce went on to live a life that defied expectation and convention and along the way became one of the most seminal figures in art and design.
Find vintage Gaetano Pesce chairs, sofas, vases and more on 1stDibs.
Tavolino serie Triple Play, Gaetano Pesce, Fish Design 2018
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Rivoli, IT
Bellissimo tavolino della serie Triple Play di Gaetano Pesce, produzione Fish Design, n. 19/2018
Resin
"Triple Play" Side Table by Gaetano Pesce for Fish Design, Italy 2017
By Fish Design, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Hellouw, NL
Gaetano Pesce, an influential Italian designer, was known for pushing boundaries in furniture design. His work combined art and function, often reflecting his bold approach to form a...
Resin
Gaetano Pesce Triple Play Side Tables, Resin & Steel, 21st Century
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
A pair sculptural coffee or side tables from the Triple Play series, designed by Gaetano Pesce and produced by Fish Design. One executed in vivid red resin and the other in bright ye...
Resin
Gaetano Pesce Sculptural Coffee Tables in Black Resin, Fish Design
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
A graduated pair sculptural coffee or side tables from the Triple Play series, designed by Gaetano Pesce and produced by Fish Design. Executed in black resin with bold white graphic ...
Resin
side table Nobody's Perfect by Gaetano Pesce, Zerodisegno, 2000s
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in PARIS, FR
Table from the Nobody’s Perfect series, 2005 ZeroDisegno Table in polyurethane resin and molded plastic tinted orange and red throughout Signed dated and numbered ( cf photos ) Also ...
Resin
Gaetano Pesce Set of 3 Red Resin Fish Design Tables from Italy
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
A graduated set of three sculptural coffee or side tables from the Triple Play series, designed by Gaetano Pesce and produced by Fish Design. Executed in vivid red resin with bold bl...
Resin
Side Table Designed by Gaetano Pesce, Fish Design Collection
Located in Madrid, ES
Pesce side table, fish model, designed by gaetano pesce, developed by corsi factory Fish it is a celebration of gaetano pesce’s boundless creativity,...
Metal
$1,723 / set
H 14.57 in Dm 11.82 in
Contemporary Gaetano Pesce Set of 3 Triple Play Coffee Table L Red Blue Yellow
By Gaetano Pesce, Corsi Design Factory
Located in barasso, IT
Triple Play coffee table - Red, blue and yellow Set of 3 tables in hard resin designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1995 for Fish Design collection Colours: Red, blue, yellow Dimensions for ...
Resin
Cast Resin 'Ray' Table by Zachary A. Design
By Zachary A. Bitner
Located in Chicago, IL
Architecturally-inclined, its open interior pulls the viewer through the form, drawing attention to its congruent stone arches. Structural, grounding, and a frame to the rest of the ...
Resin, Fiberglass
Cast Resin 'Bilbouquet' Table by Zachary A. Design
By Zachary A. Bitner
Located in Chicago, IL
A symmetrical sculptural balance of elegance and function. Dimensions: Diameter 15 in. (38 cm), height 16 in. (40.6 cm). Weight 20 lbs. (9 kg). Materials: Resin, stone aggregate, ...
Resin, Fiberglass
High XL Triple Play Side Table By Gaetano Pesce #3
By Corsi Design Factory
Located in Milan, IT
Side table in hard resin designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1995 for Fish Design collection.
Resin
Cast Resin 'Bilbouquet' Table by Zachary A. Design
By Zachary A. Bitner
Located in Chicago, IL
A symmetrical sculptural balance of elegance and function. Dimensions: Diameter 18 in. (45.7 cm), height 18 in. (45.7 cm). Weight 20 lbs. (9 kg). Materials: Resin, stone aggregate...
Resin, Fiberglass
Mersman Side Table designed by Lou Hodges for Mersman c. 1970's
By Lou Hodges, Mersman
Located in New York, NY
Exceptional post modern side, or end table, designed by Lou Hodges for Mersman, c. 1970's. The table features a sculptural octagonal solid oak frame, with a bevelled tinted glass t...
Glass, Oak
Tavolino urbano in ottone con ruote
Located in Firenze, FI
Migliora il tuo spazio con la nostra elegante lampada da parete, che presenta una resistente struttura in ottone e un giunto flessibile per il posizionamento regolabile. Il paralume ...
Marble, Brass
Salvino Marsura 'Prato III' side table - Italy, 2000s
By Salvino Marsura
Located in London, GB
The Prato III side table features a glass top set on a bronze-toned iron base, formed from three intersecting twig-like elements that finely rise to support the surface. The piece i...
Wrought Iron
$956 / item
H 17.72 in W 23.63 in D 17.72 in
21st Century Matteo Zorzenoni Sune L Side Table Ceramic Scapin
By Matteo Zorzenoni
Located in Tezze sul Brenta, IT
Sune L, Colorama collection Design by Matteo Zorzenoni, product by Scapin Collezioni Made of ceramic, the Sune side tables collection combines modern lines with particular gold o...
Metal
$4,545 / set
H 15.16 in W 15.75 in D 15.75 in
Gaetano Pesce Set of Three Nesting Play Tables in Resin by Fish Design 1999
By Fish Design, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Cascina, Pisa
Set of three nesting tables with structure in steel, feet, and table tops in resin, designed by Gaetano Pesce and produced by Fish Design in 1999. Dimensions: Blue; H38,5 x 40 x 40 cm Red; H30 x 40 x 40 cm Yellow; H23 x 40 x 40 cm Gaetano Pesce is a prominent contemporary Italian designer and architect known for his bold experimentation with materials and color. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with some of Italy's leading design companies, including Artemide, Vitra, Cassina, and B&B Italia. Born in 1939 in La Spezia, near Genoa, Pesce enrolled at the University of Venice in 1959 to study architecture and graduated in 1965. During the final years of his studies, he also participated in courses at the Venice College of Industrial Design, where he was influenced by distinguished faculty members like Ernesto Nathan Rogers and Mario Bellini. Encouraged by their teachings to embrace innovation in modern design, Pesce became involved with an avant-garde architectural collective called “Gruppo N,” which drew inspiration from the streamlined aesthetics of the Bauhaus. These diverse inspirations equipped Pesce to embrace contemporary materials and explore the forms they enabled. His designs range from small decorative objects to large architectural spaces and reflect deep contemplation of the modern era. Notable works include his iconic La Mamma chair...
Steel
$44,850
H 29 in W 77 in D 37 in
Gaetano Pesce, Nobody's Perfect Zerodesegno Dining Table, Multicolor Resin
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Kansas City, MO
Rare and exceptional Gaetano Pesce Nobody's Perfect Zerodesegno dining table. Tubular resin legs support a sturdy resin grid top with a resin "tab...
Resin
"Nobody's round" table by Gaetano Pesce for Zerodisegno, 2002
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in PARIS, FR
Low Table Nobody's Round Nobody's Perfect collection Italy, 2002 Made by Zerodesign signed and dated : 07 05 02 Polyurethane coloured resin good condition d 41 x h 47 cm d 16.1 x...
Resin
Sold
H 14.57 in W 16.15 in D 16.15 in
'Tripple Play' Resin Side Table By Gaetano Pesce For Fish Design
By Gaetano Pesce, Fish Design
Located in Bristol, GB
CIRCULAR SIDE/END TABLE, ITALIAN, 21ST CENTURY A playful and creative design very much in Gaetano Pesce’s signature style. A hand-crafted top made from cast resin, each one is sli...
Metal
Triple Play Side Table by Gaetano Pesce for Fish Design, Nr. 11/2019
By Gaetano Pesce, Fish Design
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
the experimentables. what comes to your mind when asked about italian design? many people might first think of „elegance“, or „modernity“. but how about „bold“, „futuristic“ and „experimental“? from our point of view, italian designers in the 20th century have often been drivers of progress, with advanced technical ideas, or the bold use of industrial manufacturing methods. one of the most versatile of them was (and is) gaetano pesce, *1939 in la spezia. as an artist and architect, urban planner and industrial designer he literally „made“ everything. from the ‚organic building‘ in osaka to the offices of chiat/day advertising agency in new york. he often experimented with industrial materials unseen in furniture making, starting with the famous ‚golgatha‘ chair for cassina (1972), formed from one piece of moulded fibreglass, cloth and polyester resin. his works can bee seen in museums all over the world, from milan to miami, from chicago to beijing. pesce always had one thing in mind: humanity. “i like beauty full of mistakes because we are human. perfection is for machines, it is obsolete, gone,” he once said. and you can feel it in his organic, innovative, warm, sometimes imperfect and often witty designs. he tries to bridge art and design and to always make a statement about and for society. his iconic ‚up“-flat-pack-armchair for c&b italia (now b&b italia) recently celebrated its 50th jubilee. also called „la mamma“ the connected chair and stool could be seen as a mother-and-child-combination – or as a „ball-and-chain“ that ties women to their traditional role in a household. in 1995 he designed the „triple play“ series of resin tables. we have two available in different size and heights: this table is the smaller and lower one shows a cartoonish face with moustache on a yellow background, also on steel rod legs, here with black feet (stamped underneath with manufacturer’s mark „fish...
Metal
Sold
H 15 in W 16 in D 16 in
Set of Three Early Triple Play Tables by Gaetano Pesce for Fish Design, '1996'
By Gaetano Pesce, Fish Design
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An exceptional set of early 12-legged Triple Play tables designed by Gaetano Pesce (b. 1939) for Fish Design. This set was produced in March 1996 and...
Metal
Gaetano Pesce Nesting Table Set Fish Design, Italy, 1990
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Very nice and early set of unique nesting tables designed by Gaetano Pesce and manufactured by Fish Design, Italy, circa 1990. These early tables are made of resin tops and feet and ...
Metal
2007 Signed Set of Triple Play Coloured Side Tables by Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce, Fish Design
Located in London, England
2007 set of Italian 'Triple Play' coloured side or nesting tables by Gaetano Pesce. Each table sits one below the other. The largest table has a red face, ...
Metal, Chrome
Set of Whimsical Colored Side Tables by Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Set of whimsical colored side tables by Gaetano Pesce. 15 in. diameter each. 14 in. height is for the tallest red table. 12 in. tall blue one. 9 in....