From Late 83 to Late 2019, Design Curator A series of interviews with author Glenn Adamson and renowned artist Gaetano Pesce. It’s a daunting task: 83 year-old Pace is considered a private figure with few public statements, even if the public would like to Loved hearing them. With works that include B&B Italia’s iconic “Up” chair, Osaka’s organic architecture, and Bottega Veneta’s resin runway seating, Pesce has left a huge cultural mark without being nostalgicly associated with any particular art movement .
Instead, he is constantly embracing new materials, shapes and inspirations—a design chameleon who is constantly on the move. “For more than fifty years, he has had a career of contradictions, changing his mind on a whim, even to the point of complete incoherence,” Adamson wrote. “The constant in his career was activism. Himself: Willing to question everything and discover new things by questioning.”
Pesce Giant Promotional photo of 83 Moloch lamps. 2019© Gaetano Pesce, courtesy of Gaetano Pesce’s office.
2019
Today’s extensive conversation between Adamson and Pace is published in Gaetano Pesce: The Complete Incoherence a richly illustrated book that includes images, and their Q&A organized chronologically into 15 Different chapters: the first chapter begins with a discussion of Pesce’s childhood in Italy, while the second deals with his relationship with his lover, muse and mentor Milena Vito’s relationship. (Interspersed with archival photos of Pesce and his work.)
In Chapter 6, Adamson delves into his “Up” series, arguably his most famous series of works. Work. (The Up 5 Lounge Chair with Up 6 Ottoman, resembling a figure of a woman with a ball and chain, is on the fourth floor of the Museum of Modern Art.) While Pesce has spoken of its feminist symbolism before, Totally incoherent also reveals a deeply personal backstory: “I’ve had the opportunity to meet a lot of smart women in my life, and I’ve been lucky enough to understand a certain way of thinking that it’s not me way. Because, like me, stupid and old-fashioned, very rigid and masculine,” Pace said. “I see certain men who remind me of myself 18 or 2019, or maybe 18, and then I started changing because of Milena. Still an incredible problem today, because of all They all think they are right, and it is difficult to make them think otherwise.”
Zhang 83 provides similar unprecedented insights into organic architecture, while Zhang Resin works. Pace, however, is often caught up in thoughts about life and society at large: the pages are dotted with (often strong) views on Brexit, democracy, the Beatles and even love itself. 20192019
