Frank O. Gehry
As a teenager Frank Gehry was
uncertain about his career direction as he found himself hampered by his lack
of skills as a draughtsman. While studying architecture in Los Angeles and
working closely with the modernist architect Raphael Soriano, he confirmed his
career choice and got a degree in architecture in 1954.
However, these designs with the
use of cardboard made success and were popularised with the buyers as they were
of a low cost budget. But since Gehry was an architect, he stopped their
production after only three months as he didn’t want himself to be known as a
furniture designer.
Being so innovative with his
building designs he had received international acclaims for his
deconstructivist projects. While working in his own firm (today known as Gehry
Partners, LLP) he spent more time with sculptors and painters including Ed
Kienholz and Bob Irwin. They were all trying to find new uses for the
overlooked by-products of industrial civilisation. Thus, Gehry began to look
for an opportunity to invent a more personal vision in his own work. This is
when he started to design brick and steel structures.
Also in 1990, the Weisman Art
Museum at the University of Minnesota was completed and was Gehry’s first
monumental work in his own country. It was constructed from bricks and
stainless steel, two materials that were popular during the time.
Following the success of Frank
Gehry, he achieved the Pritzker Prize award
in 1989 for the works of the Disney Concert Hall which is the world’s
most prestigious architecture award.
Alessi
In the 1930s till the 1940s,
Carlo designed many works, including the “Ottagonale”, “Scalini”, “Cilindrica”
and “Bombe” series.
Uptill this time these kind of
works where being made more ‘crafty style’ and so Alessi moved away from its
craft origins towards a more industrial mode. This affacted the way their culture
used to be from a cheaper version that mostly everyone could have afforded to buy,
to a more professional work with richer materials that became more expensive for
people to buy.
During this period, the world was
dominated from the second world war and this resulted of having shortages of
materials. Alessi was infected by the lack of nickel-silver and brass and thus,
they began using pressed stainless steel and in order to remain competitive in
the in the industry, Alessi began commissioning work from well-known designers.
In the late 1970s, designers from Post-Modernism began to work for Alessi by producing limited edition ranges. These designers were eleven in total which included Ettore Sottsass, Michael Graves, Aldo Rossi and Robert Venturi where they designed the “Tea and Coffee Piazza”.
Michael Graves Robert Venturi
Today Alessi are still producing
these works that were designed by famous designers among with other industrial
products and also offers online courses for students who want to design in this
related field.
Aldo Rossi
References:
Laura, 2013. Easy
Edges collection. [images online] Available at: http://www.arredativo.it/2013/recensioni/salotto/poltrone-salotto/easy-edges/
[Accessed 19th January 2014]
Anon, 2013. Our
theaters & concert halls. [image online] Available at: http://www.musiccenter.org/about/OUR-VENUES/Our-Theatres--Concert-Halls/
[Accessed 19th January 2014]
Anon, 2010. Frank
O. Gehry. [online] Available at: http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/geh0bio-1
[Accessed 19th January 2014]
Elvira Masson, 2010. Alessi
s’ expose à Munich. [image online]
Available at: http://www.lexpress.fr/styles/design/alessi-s-expose-a-munich_895145.html
[Accessed 19th January 2014]
Dezeen, 2009. Alberto
Alessi at the Design Museum. [images online] Available at: http://www.dezeen.com/2009/11/14/podcast-interview-alberto-alessi-at-the-design-museum/
[Accessed 19th January 2014]
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