Gaetano Pesce Sofa "La Michetta" for Meritalia, Italy, 2005
View Similar Items
Gaetano Pesce Sofa "La Michetta" for Meritalia, Italy, 2005
About the Item
- Creator:Meritalia (Manufacturer),Gaetano Pesce (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 27.56 in (70 cm)Width: 94.49 in (240 cm)Length: 27.56 in (70 cm)
- Style:Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:2005
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Greding, DE
- Reference Number:Seller: 127-01291stDibs: LU1014220580322
Gaetano Pesce
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.
- Antonio Citterio, 'Sity' Sofa for B&B Italia, 1980sBy B&B Italia, Antonio CitterioLocated in Greding, DEBrown three-seat sofa on castors with rectangular seat and backrest. The brick-red cylindrical armrests are made of metal. The Sity sofa was designed ...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Biedermeier Sofa, Prob. Vienna, circa 1830Located in Greding, DEVery beautiful Biedermeier sofa on carved feet in the shape of fluted scroll ornaments. The s-shaped armrests are decorated with beautiful stylized fern ornaments. The backrest is st...Category
Antique 1830s Austrian Biedermeier Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Walnut
- Biedermeier Sofa, Probably Mainz Around 1830Located in Greding, DEBiedermeier sofa, veneered in walnut with carved swan decorations. The sofa has been reupholstered and professionally restored.Category
Antique 1830s German Biedermeier Sofas
MaterialsWalnut
- Two "Diesis" two-seaters by Antonio Citterio & Paolo Nava for B&B Italia, 1970sBy Antonio Citterio, Paolo NavaLocated in Greding, DEPair of two-seater sofas, Diesis model, designed by Antonio Citterio and Paolo Nova for B&B Italia. The sofas stand on a metal frame and are fitted with thick cushions. The red uphol...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Biedermeier Sofa with carved Swan Décor, veneered in Walnut, Germany, circa 1830Located in Greding, DEBiedermeier sofa with straight frame and rounded backrest. The couch is veneered in walnut and decorated with carved swans on the high armrests. The sofa has been expertly restored and hand polished as well as reupholstered. The high-quality upholstery fabric is patterned with black diamonds on a white background on the seat and backrest and has a mottled black and white design on the armrests. The cushions are designed to match and give the light sofa...Category
Antique Early 19th Century German Biedermeier Sofas
MaterialsWalnut, Fabric
- Seating Group, Italy, Mid-20th CenturyLocated in Greding, DEMidcentury seating group consisting of a two-seat sofa and two armchairs. The armrests, seats and backrests are upholstered and newly covered with a light blue fabric with black pipi...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsWood, Fabric
$7,197 / set
- Original Shadow Armchair by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia, Postmodern IconBy Gaetano Pesce, Michel Ducaroy, Ligne Roset, MeritaliaLocated in Grand Cayman, KYShadow armchair by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia is a highly collectible iconic masterpiece of Post Modern Design. The chair "deconstructed". Designed a...Category
Early 2000s Italian Post-Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Upholstery, Latex, Resin
- Cannaregio Sofa Attributed to Gaetano Pesce for Cassina, Italy 1990sBy Gaetano PesceLocated in Chicago, ILA Cannaregio sofa designed by Gaetano Pesce for Cassina in 1987. The Cannaregio sofa is composed of ten modular sections, which can be placed together ...Category
1990s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsTextile, Upholstery
- Gaetano Pesce La Smorfia Chair Meritalia, 2003By Gaetano PesceLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantPostmodern chair designed by Gaetano Pesce and manufactured by Meritalia, Italy 2003. This unique shaped chair is more of a sculpture and fits perfectly in the oeuvre from Pesce, wit...Category
Early 2000s Italian Post-Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Shadow Armchair, Gaetano Pesce for MeritaliaBy Gaetano PesceLocated in Las Vegas, NVExceptionally rare Gaetano Pesce Shadow chair for Meritalia. Formed by pouring polyurethane resin into the specially designed fabric “bag” the res...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Post-Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Resin
$10,000 Sale Price20% Off - 'Cannaregio' Modular Sofa by Gaetano Pesce for Cassina, Italy, 1980sBy Cassina, Gaetano PesceLocated in Antwerp, BE'Cannaregio' sofa, a vibrant and versatile creation by Italian designer Gaetano Pesce for Cassina. Originally conceived in 1987, this sofa exudes playfulness, adaptability, and a bur...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric
- Large Gaetano Pesce for Cassina 'Cannaregio' Modular SofaBy Cassina, Gaetano PesceLocated in Waalwijk, NLGaetano Pesce for Cassina, sofa, model ‘Cannaregio’, multicolored upholstery, Italy, 1987 Large ‘Cannaregio’ sofa, designed by Gaetano Pesce for Cassi...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric
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.