Set of Four "Serie Della Natura" Prints by Enzo Mari for Danese, Italy, 1972

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Set of Four "Serie Della Natura" Prints by Enzo Mari for Danese, Italy, 1972

About the Item

A wonderful set of four prints by Enzo Mari for Danese Milano in Italy, 1972. From the Serie Della Natura Undici, these are the prints Luna (moon), Trifoglio (clover), Cubo (cube) and Stella (star). These early production prints have a beautiful minimalistic style with clear, smooth shapes that are the iconic feature of these famous midcentury artwork series. This set would beautifuly compliment any interior. They would look great placed next to eachother or in a square, but could also be very well spread through the decor adding a touch of harmony. All prints are marked at the bottom, as can be seen in the photos. The set remains in beautiful vintage condition with minor wear consistent with age and use, creating a wonderful patina. Enzo Mari (born 1932) is a noted Italian modernist artist and furniture designer. He draws inspiration from the idealism of the arts and crafts movement, and his political views as a communist. Mari was born in Novara, Italy and he studied at the Brera Academy in Milan, Italy from 1952-1956. In the 1960s, published a series of books, including "The Apple and the Butterfly," a wordless book of paintings depicting the story of a caterpillar and an apple. In the 1970s, he founded the Nuova Tendenza art movement as a professor at Società Umanitaria, also in Milan. Also in that decade, he designed the Sof Sof chair and the "Box" chair. In 1974, Enzo Mari made the book Autoprogettazione, which deals around the DIY construction of furniture. In the 1980s, he designed the modernist Tonietta chair. Mari has taught at University of Parma (Parma), the Accademia Carrara (Carrara), Milan Polytechnic and ISIA (Florence), the Hochschule der Künste (Berlin), and the "Hochschule für angewandte Kunst" in Vienna. He has multiple works on display at the Museum of Modern Art (New York). He has had recent retrospective shows in Turin, Italy, and an important presentation of his work in "Adhocracy" show, during the first Istanbul Design Biennial.

Creator:
Danese Milano (Manufacturer),Enzo Mari (Artist)
Dimensions:
Height: 26.78 in (68 cm)Width: 26.78 in (68 cm)Depth: 0.4 in (1 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 4
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Paper
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
Mid-20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1972
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Amsterdam, NL
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU103988317293

Shop All Enzo Mari

Enzo Mari

Enzo Mari was an influential industrial designer and a beloved curmudgeon who revered Marxism. His vintage mid-century modern designs are simple, functional and poetic. Widely known Mari-designed objects include desk accessories, such as the Formosa perpetual wall calendar, vases, cocktail tables and chandeliers.

Enzo Mari's work is embedded within the city of Milan, the Italian capital of all things design. In fact, the traffic bollards he devised are part of the city itself: Shaped like "panettone" cakes, they simultaneously direct traffic and provide seating for pedestrians.

In 1974, Mari published Autoprogettazione? (roughly translated as self-design), a Marx-inspired, anti-industrial, do-it-yourself handbook for the everyday person to use to build furniture without the assistance of a glitzy designer or knowledge of complex joinery. Mari’s intent with the publication was to remove the alienation of the creator and manufacturer from the end product by teaching anyone to develop a critical eye for production.

Artek relaunched kits based on the blueprints in the manual in an exhibition at Spazio Rossana Orlandi in 2010. The subsequent collectability of his work was reportedly irksome for Mari because he abhorred the industrial production for which he was becoming known.

Mari’s meager upbringing heavily influenced his politics, and even in childhood, he would come up with ingenious ways to support the family financially. As a designer, the desire to envision and build significant pieces was more important to Mari than devising new marketing and retail sales tactics. He optimistically believed objects could change the world. This view went against the rising consumer mania for every next trend that surfaced in the late 20th century. Not surprisingly, his ecological and economical stance led him to produce fewer objects.

Mari's philosophy did not stop people from desiring his creations, nor prevent other designers from wanting to collaborate with him. Following World War II, he worked for companies like Danese, Olivetti, Artemide, Driade and Alessi, who brought his prodigious designs to the public, and Mari’s work was widely celebrated.

The Golden Compass, Italy's highest honor for industrial design, was awarded to Mari four times before he died from COVID in 2020, and New York’s Museum of Modern Art has a permanent collection of his objects on display.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of Enzo Mari decorative objects, folk art and serveware.