Rare table lamp covered in natural-colored parchment hand-drawn and signed by Alessandro Mendini, representing the ironic and artistic vision of pre-war cars. The entire surface is finished and polished by hand.
Alessandro Mendini (1931-2019). It is through his work as an architect, designer, journalist and publisher that Mendini has raised awareness of Italian design throughout the world. Particularly, by focusing on neo-modern, avant-gardism, but also on the border between art, design and architecture.
Mendini's work covers several fields such as graphics, interior, stage design, writing and painting. Graduated from Politecnico di Milano in 1959. He then became the editor of several famous magazines, such as Casabella (1970-1976), Modo and Domus (1979-1985). In 1979, he collaborated with Ettore Sottsass and Michele De Lucchi for Studio Alchimia, before founding the Domus Academy in 1982. In 1989, with his brother Francesco, they founded their architectural firm, Atelier Mendini, in Milan.
Mendini's entire work was awarded the Compasso d'Oro twice, in 1979 and 1981. He was also awarded by the Architectural League of New York, was crowned Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in France and , in 2014 he received the European Architecture Prize. His work is included in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, but also the Center Georges Pompidou in Paris, among others.
Aldo Tura began his own furniture production in Lombardy in 1939. Straddling the Art Deco style and Modernism, Aldo Tura creates unique, high-quality furniture, but also accessories characterized by use of rich materials, sculptural forms and artisanal techniques. His work delights collectors, particularly his objects with exotic finishes, with eggshells, goatskin and parchment.
Aldo Tura is one of Italy's most talented Mid-Century designers. In the post-war years, many furniture manufacturers moved into mass production. Aldo Tura remained committed to traditional, slow craftsmanship. It favors complex processes that cannot be reproduced by a mass production system. This is why the number of Aldo Tura designs available on the vintage market is limited.