Gaetano Pesce Pair of First Edition 'Green Street Chairs'
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Gaetano Pesce Pair of First Edition 'Green Street Chairs'
About the Item
- Creator:Gaetano Pesce (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 37.01 in (94 cm)Width: 23.04 in (58.5 cm)Depth: 21.46 in (54.5 cm)Seat Height: 17.72 in (45 cm)
- Style:Post-Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1980-1989
- Date of Manufacture:1980s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Waalwijk, NL
- Reference Number:Seller: item 41291stDibs: LU93314267703
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.
Established in 2006, Morentz has a team of approximately 55 restorers, upholsterers, interior advisers and art historians, making it a gallery, workshop and upholstery studio, all in one. Every day, a carefully selected array of 20th-century furniture arrives from all over the world at the firm’s warehouse, where the team thoroughly examines each piece to determine what, if any, work needs to be done. Whether that means new upholstery or a complete restoration, Morentz's aim is always to honor the designer’s intention while fulfilling the wishes of the client. The team is up to any challenge, from restoring a single piece to its original glory to furnishing a large-scale hotel project.
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$9,771 / item - Gaetano Pesce Feltri Armchair by CassinaBy Gaetano Pesce, CassinaLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaArmchair model Feltri designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1987. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Crafted using a patented Cassina production technique, Feltri is a symbol of cutting-edge design, the result of representational research played out on the hybrid field between art and practicality. Made entirely of thick felted wool, this design armchair by Gaetano Pesce combines an enveloping pliable backrest with a rigid lower section; a quilted topper creates an inviting cocoon. Available in many versions, through quilt and structure combinations in different colors. The seat is attached to the structure with black hemp ties that also outline the upper borders of the chair. A familiar figure on many modern antiques’ and collectors’ sites, Feltri is a summation of thinking about figuration in the hybrid zone where the artistic meets the functional. One of a kind, this piece stands out for its enormous flexibility and for the fact that the mattress-like seat can be upholstered in wide array of fabrics. These can be mixed and matched with the six new colour options of the frame, to provide a total of ten colourways. Feltri was created within Cassina’s Research Centre, a place synonymous with experimentation and constructional avant-garde thinking. Here, Gaetano Pesce dedicated time and thought to the design, in the process thinking up a complex new manufacturing process that was later patented by the company. Created entirely from dense wool felt, the pliable, wrap-around back is all one piece. The lower section, meanwhile, is rigid and sturdy, thanks to being impregnated with a thermosetting resin. The seat is attached to the frame using hemp ties; these also extend around the chair’s upper part. A comfortable quilt, coupled with polyester wadding, serves to upholster the inner section of the chair. Important information regarding images of products: Please note that some of the images show other colors and variations of the model, these images are only to present interior design proposals. The item that is selling is on the first image. Important information regarding color(s) of products: Actual colors may vary. This is due to the fact that every computer monitor, laptop, tablet and phone screen has a different capability to display colors and that everyone sees these colours differently. We try to edit our photos to show all of our products as life-like as possible, but please understand the actual color may vary slightly from your monitor About the designer: Gaetano Pesce was born in La Spezia in 1939. He studied architecture at the IUAV in Venice, and attended the Venice Institute of Industrial design. At this experimental school, he met Milena Vettore with whom he opened a studio in Padua, founding in 1959 the “N” Group which focussed on with studies in programmed art. He carries out research in the field of kinetic and serial art. He is in the theatre and the cinema, concerned with lighting, movement and sound as means of expression. Since 1962 he has worked in design, experimenting with new materials and unusual shapes. In 1971 he collaborated with BracciodiFerro (in the Cassina group) for the production of certain experimental objects (like Moloch, 1971, a table lamp blown up to the dimensions of an ironic and emblematic item). In 1972 he took part in the famous exhibition “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape” at MoMA in New York, with a dwelling module. Experimentation and irony are also exhibited in his projects for Cassina, amongst which the Tramonto a New York sofa (1980) and the Feltri armchair...Category
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$9,771 / item - Gaetano Pesce Feltri Armchair by CassinaBy Gaetano Pesce, CassinaLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaArmchair model Feltri designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1987. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Crafted using a patented Cassina production technique, F...Category
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$9,771 / item - Gaetano Pesce Feltri Armchair by CassinaBy Cassina, Gaetano PesceLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaArmchair model Feltri designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1987. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Crafted using a patented Cassina production technique, F...Category
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$9,771 / item - Gaetano Pesce Feltri Armchair by CassinaBy Gaetano Pesce, CassinaLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaArmchair model Feltri designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1987. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Crafted using a patented Cassina production technique, Feltri is a symbol of cutting-edge design, the result of representational research played out on the hybrid field between art and practicality. Made entirely of thick felted wool, this design armchair by Gaetano Pesce combines an enveloping pliable backrest with a rigid lower section; a quilted topper creates an inviting cocoon. Available in many versions, through quilt and structure combinations in different colors. The seat is attached to the structure with black hemp ties that also outline the upper borders of the chair. A familiar figure on many modern antiques’ and collectors’ sites, Feltri is a summation of thinking about figuration in the hybrid zone where the artistic meets the functional. One of a kind, this piece stands out for its enormous flexibility and for the fact that the mattress-like seat can be upholstered in wide array of fabrics. These can be mixed and matched with the six new colour options of the frame, to provide a total of ten colourways. Feltri was created within Cassina’s Research Centre, a place synonymous with experimentation and constructional avant-garde thinking. Here, Gaetano Pesce dedicated time and thought to the design, in the process thinking up a complex new manufacturing process that was later patented by the company. Created entirely from dense wool felt, the pliable, wrap-around back is all one piece. The lower section, meanwhile, is rigid and sturdy, thanks to being impregnated with a thermosetting resin. The seat is attached to the frame using hemp ties; these also extend around the chair’s upper part. A comfortable quilt, coupled with polyester wadding, serves to upholster the inner section of the chair. Important information regarding images of products: Please note that some of the images show other colors and variations of the model, these images are only to present interior design proposals. The item that is selling is on the first image. Important information regarding color(s) of products: Actual colors may vary. This is due to the fact that every computer monitor, laptop, tablet and phone screen has a different capability to display colors and that everyone sees these colours differently. We try to edit our photos to show all of our products as life-like as possible, but please understand the actual color may vary slightly from your monitor About the designer: Gaetano Pesce was born in La Spezia in 1939. He studied architecture at the IUAV in Venice, and attended the Venice Institute of Industrial design. At this experimental school, he met Milena Vettore with whom he opened a studio in Padua, founding in 1959 the “N” Group which focussed on with studies in programmed art. He carries out research in the field of kinetic and serial art. He is in the theatre and the cinema, concerned with lighting, movement and sound as means of expression. Since 1962 he has worked in design, experimenting with new materials and unusual shapes. In 1971 he collaborated with BracciodiFerro (in the Cassina group) for the production of certain experimental objects (like Moloch, 1971, a table lamp blown up to the dimensions of an ironic and emblematic item). In 1972 he took part in the famous exhibition “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape” at MoMA in New York, with a dwelling module. Experimentation and irony are also exhibited in his projects for Cassina, amongst which the Tramonto a New York sofa (1980) and the Feltri armchair...Category
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MaterialsWool
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