Set of Three Early Triple Play Tables by Gaetano Pesce for Fish Design, '1996'
About the Item
- Creator:Gaetano Pesce (Designer),Fish Design (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 15 in (38.1 cm)Width: 16 in (40.64 cm)Depth: 16 in (40.64 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 3
- Style:Post-Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1996
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1546234065802
Gaetano Pesce
Gaetano Pesce is 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, he 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 its 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 has gone on to live a life that defies expectation and convention and along the way has become one of the most seminal figures in art and design.
Find vintage Gaetano Pesce chairs, sofas, vases and more on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Brooklyn, NY
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Walnut and Hand-painted Copper Side Tables by John Keal for Brown SaltmanBy John Keal, Brown SaltmanLocated in Brooklyn, NYBeautiful pair of Constellation walnut side tables with painted copper inlaid trays. Designed by John Keal and produced by Brown Saltman furniture company. The wood has been cleaned ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsCopper
- Richard Schultz Petal Side Table for KnollBy Knoll, Richard SchultzLocated in Brooklyn, NYVintage example of the classic Richard Schultz petal table. 1960s edition manufactured by Knoll, with original label intact. Base has been recoat...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsWood
- Danish Modern Nesting Table Set in RosewoodLocated in Brooklyn, NYBeautiful and elegant Danish modern nesting tables set. All three tables feature rich color and vibrant grain patterns. Perfectly executed...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Nesting Tables and Stacking ...
MaterialsWood
- Eero Saarinen for Knoll Walnut Tulip Side TableBy Knoll, Eero SaarinenLocated in Brooklyn, NYStunning walnut side table. 20 in diameter circular wood top finished in walnut. Like new original surface. Retains original early Knoll bow tie label on underside. Cast iron base is...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Set of Three Flo Chairs and Dining Table by Patricia Urquiola for DriadeBy Patricia Urquiola, DriadeLocated in Brooklyn, NYSpanish-born, Milan-based architect and designer Patricia Urquiola’s design for the Flo line for Driade relies on steel structures covered in cane, giving the pieces a durability and...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- John Keal for Brown Saltman “Constellation” Walnut Side TableLocated in Brooklyn, NYBeautiful John Keal designed side table for Brown Saltman furniture co. Walnut solid legs and square frame with painted metal inlay. In great shape an...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- Triple Play Side Table by Gaetano Pesce for Fish Design, Nr. 11/2019By Fish Design, Gaetano PesceLocated in Frankfurt am Main, DEthe 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...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Set of 3, Size L Triple Play Coffee Table in White by Gaetano PesceBy Gaetano Pesce, Corsi Design FactoryLocated in barasso, ITTriple play coffee table - white Table in hard resin designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1995 for Fish Design collection. Additional Information: Material: Hard resin Color: White Dimens...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsResin
- Set of 3, Size L Triple Play Coffee Table in Black by Gaetano PesceBy Gaetano Pesce, Corsi Design FactoryLocated in barasso, ITTriple play coffee table - black Table in hard resin designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1995 for Fish Design collection. Additional Information: Material: Hard resin Color: Black Dimens...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsResin
- Set of 3, Size L Triple Play Coffee Table in Yellow by Gaetano PesceBy Gaetano Pesce, Corsi Design FactoryLocated in barasso, ITTriple play coffee table - yellow Table in hard resin designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1995 for Fish Design collection. Additional information: Material: Hard resin Color: Yellow Dime...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsResin
- Set of 3, Size XL Triple Play Coffee Table in White by Gaetano PesceBy Gaetano Pesce, Corsi Design FactoryLocated in barasso, ITTriple play coffee table - white Table in hard resin designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1995 for Fish Design collection. Additional Information: Material: Hard resin Color: White Dimens...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsResin
- Set of 3, Size XL Triple Play Coffee Table in Black by Gaetano PesceBy Gaetano Pesce, Corsi Design FactoryLocated in barasso, ITTriple play coffee table - black Table in hard resin designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1995 for Fish Design collection. Additional Information: Material: Hard resin Color: Black Dimens...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsResin
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Ruth Lande Shuman’s Manhattan Apartment Is a Happy Rainbow — Thanks to Gaetano Pesce
Over the years, Shuman has filled her Park Avenue penthouse with the Italian designer's radically colorful creations. Here's how it all came to together.
With Their Rambunctious Faux Naïf Aesthetic, Young Makers Are Changing the Way We Think about Design
Following in the footsteps of Italian master Gaetano Pesce, these mostly millennial talents are embracing an intentionally imperfect style with wildly creative results.