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ITALIAN DESIGN.
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Focuses on post-World War II design in Italy.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Focuses on post-World War II design in Italy. Historical artistic tradition of Italian design. Aesthetic developed by cooperation between designer and manufacturer. Italy's sense of style. Reasons for Italy's pre-eminence in the field of design. Objects associated with Italian design such as the Vespa motor scooter, plastic furniture.
Paper Introduction:
This paper is a discussion of post-World War II design in Italy. Italy emerged from military defeat and economic turmoil to become one of the most important leaders of world design. In the beginning, most of its significant designers had been trained as architects, who worked with manufacturers to establish highly sophisticated approaches that transformed functional, everyday objects into distinctive works of art.
At the end of World War II, Italy stood defeated by the Allied forces, its economy shattered by years of war and its reputation in the West suspect as a traitor and enemy. Yet the nation also had a long tradition as an artistic leader, and its artists were quick to draw on that heritage in recovering from the devastation of war. Penny Sparke writes:
The stylish, mass-produced pieces of furniture, decorative household goods, electrical appliances, office equipment, cars and, latterly, designer clothes and accessories that have earned Italy such a key position in the world of contemporary material culture are, in essence, a mirror of that country’s bid for modernity and of its struggle, through the century, to
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Thus, while the production of Italian design is inextricably linked to theeconomic, social and cultural context of modern Italy, its consumption isnot" (1 ).Italians made their presence felt throughout the world but were not theprincipal consumers for the manifestations of their own modern aesthetic. Trento, Italy: Benedikt Taschen, 1994.Dormer, Peter. The Italians - both designers and manufacturers - were especiallyproficient at mastering the use of new materials. Italian Design. . As Parsons observes: The push to achieve their status as international winners in the design sweepstakes came from Italy's business community. Instead, Italian design became a happymarriage of form and function, of the visually satisfying with a workabledesign, of art and entertainment. Vespas, and many of the tiny sportscars that captured international imaginations in the late 194 s and early195 s, "stood for an uncomplicated lifestyle" (Bornsen-Holtmann 62) and theeasy, lighthearted ability to slip away from serious cares that was alsoidentified with a particularly Italian approach to life. Architectural training and an eye for three-dimensional structurewere an important component in the establishment of a uniquely Italianvision of design. He writes, "TheWest still looks to Italy for a lead in what is good in design, and what isgood in Italian design in probably the debate and argument, the ideologicalfactionalism that underlies it" (56). Penny Sparke writes: The stylish, mass-produced pieces of furniture, decorative household goods, electrical appliances, office equipment, cars and, latterly, designer clothes and accessories that have earned Italy such a key position in the world of contemporary material culture are, in essence, a mirror of that country's bid for modernity and of its struggle, through the century, to establish itself as one of the modern industrial nations (7). Of course, Italian design did not spring into being from nothingnesswith the end of the war. Yet the speed with which a distinctively Italian aesthetic appearedto emerge still required time to achieve. As Dormer writes, "Styling is the visuallanguage that says to a culture that it is ordering itself successfullyinto productive patterns of work, leisure, and institutions" (19). In the beginning, most of itssignificant designers had been trained as architects, who worked withmanufacturers to establish highly sophisticated approaches that transformedfunctional, everyday objects into distinctive works of art. In the field of fashion, one area of design that took Italians longerthan usual to assert dominance, the more laid-back Italian approachultimately made the difference. Yet some observers detect subtle changes in even the Italians'lighthearted approach to life as reflected in their design. . In some respects, the long history of cultural traditions of thenation, combined with the essential Italian character, were responsible forItaly's ability to "bounce back" from the ravages of war. The emphasis on architectural training did not come only from thearchitects themselves. What they saw were architects coming out of school unemployed. Finding themselves with few building projects, Italy's architectsturned to struggling manufacturers to help the industrialists climb backout from economic ruin. Instead, post-war Italian design arose outof the architectural tradition. Dormer observes, "The Italians realizedearlier than most the innate silliness of searching for a single designaesthetic in a world in which technology offered such a variety ofprocesses and solutions" (54). Bornsen-Holtmann writes, "As in all other areas of art,design at the turn of the century has lost its absolute faith in progress .. "Learning from Milan." Colorado Business Magazine June 1994: 18-19.Sparke, Penny. As Sparke writes, "From the early 196 s onwards its impact was feltmost strongly in the wealthy quarters of London, Paris, New York and Tokyo. Italian design's greatest success wasits ability to combine artistic sensibility with practical reality. Jonathan M. At the end of World War II, Italy stood defeated by the Alliedforces, its economy shattered by years of war and its reputation in theWest suspect as a traitor and enemy. They predictthat growing international cynicism cannot help but permeate Italiansensibilities. Italy had enjoyed a centuries-long artistictradition, and twentieth century Italian design had its roots in pre-wardevelopments. As Anne McGregor Parsons observes, "Nearlyall the members of the group of designers who began practising asindependent designers of interiors and industrial goods immediatelyfollowing the Second World War were trained as architects before the war"(11). Architect Gio Ponti said, "In Venice, God created only the water andthe sky. Italy's hold oninternational tastes supplanted, among others, the clean but austere lookof the Scandinavians, "whose traditionally crafted furniture had been inkeeping with the consumer's desire for a contented and safe world" (Bornsen-Holtmann 23). Ironically, leadership was more on an international than nationallevel. Sparke observes, "While, in the early 195 s,the moulding technology available had made it possible only to manufacturesmall plastic products, by the turn of the decade plastic furniture hadjoined other smaller items to become one of the most striking of theItalian exports" (131). The Meanings of Design: Towards the Twenty-First Century. Yet Italian design, between1945 and 2 , remains a strikingly powerful force and a distinctive voicethat will continue to influence whatever may follow it by the sheer powerof its vision. .with names such as Krizia, Missonis, Versace, Armani and Ferre, but alsomanifested itself in the work of a number of less well-known fashion houseswhich, operating without 'named' designers, none the less produced high-quality, high-fashion, and above all, relatively inexpensive clothing"(2 2). This paper is a discussion of post-World War II design in Italy.Italy emerged from military defeat and economic turmoil to become one ofthe most important leaders of world design. This sense of lightheartedness may be one of the most importantreasons for the continued appeal of Italian design. . Twentieth Century Design. If thestate cannot provide assurance, design and style can offer affirmationsthat life is, at heart, as it should be. This is reflected in some of the objects that are most associatedwith Italian design during the decade immediately following the end of thewar, such as the Vespa motor scooter. Bornsen-Holtmannwrites, "Designers from Milan have been in demand internationally eversince industry realised that beautifully designed products can be sold moreeasily and at higher prices than unattractive ones" (7). Italian design madeextensive use of plastics. Parsons writes, "The Italians'dominance in Western design . InItaly, sooner than anywhere else, designers discovered how to translatetheir ideas into easily manufactured goods, while manufacturers learned howto make their goods as beautiful as they were usable. They decided to hire the young architects and make specializing in the highest quality of material and design their mission (19). Nina Bornsen-Holtmann observes, "A number of designs whichstill seem remarkably fresh and modern to us today originated at this time"(11). She notes, "It was associated . Italy's preeminence in the field of design may be as much a result ofpost-war politics as it was a reaction to the end of the war itself.Sparke argues, "As many historians of modern Italy have been at pains topoint out, the country has been in a state of permanent crisis since 1945:design seems to have flourished as a symptom of that unstable state ofaffairs" (16). London: Thames and Hudson, 199 .Parsons, Anne McGregor. After World War II, the country's manufacturers - tiny companies by American standards - were looking to compete in a world market. This mastery of materials was frequently asimportant an element as any in the design process of Italian products.Parsons notes, "Italian design may look like so many dangerous curves, butwhen it comes to the creative approach to design taken by Italiancompanies, maybe the medium is the message" (18). . In Italy, the cooperation between designer and manufacturer cametogether to create a distinct aesthetic; Italian-designed objects share aremarkable unanimity that combines clean lines, functionality, and boldplayfulness in a way no other nation was able to achieve so solidly.Bornsen-Holtmann quotes writer and critic Umberto Eco: "If other countrieshad a theory of design, Italy had a philosophy, maybe even an ideology ofdesign" (5). Yet the nation also had a longtradition as an artistic leader, and its artists were quick to draw on thatheritage in recovering from the devastation of war. A 35-year retrospective ofpost-war Italian design included objects as diverse as Ettore Sottsass'1969 fire-engine red "Valentine" typewriter for Olivetti, Richard Sapper'spraying mantis-like 1972 "Tizio" lamp for Artemide, andGiandomenico Belotti's 1979 "Spaghetti" side chair for Alias, "upholstered"with pasta-like strands of PVC (Parsons). Oxford, NY: Oxford U P, 1997. Italy's senseof style is more than a birthright, it's a vocation - and a lifestyle"(18). Sparke notes that the Italian fashionindustry had its greatest impact in the ready-to-wear market, rather thanby overtaking French haute couture. Peter Dormer argues that post-World War II culturethroughout the West reflected a mixture of cooperation and individualism(4 ). The war was over,the sun was shining again, and affordable, inexpensive, stylishtransportation offered the mobility of "la dolce vita" to a generationfocused on the promises and delights of the immediate. New York: Abbeville P, 1988.Woodham, Jonathan M. All these items share a visualappeal, clean lines, and a sense of fun that characterize them in aparticular way. Works CitedBornsen-Holtmann, Nina. Unlike designers in most other Western countries, Italians were nottypically trained as designers. [but] new times demand new styles" (145). Design has provided a constant and a cultural identity thatpolitics continues to avoid, and that may be a reason for Italy's continueddominance as design leaders. The movement began in Milan. By the 196 s, the Italians' sense of humor had laid claim tothe world's affections in a way no other country had been able to succeed. Design continues to spark enthusiastic discussion within the artisticcommunity, even within Italian boundaries. Whether design in general in the twenty-first century will reflect afundamental sea change remains to be seen. The remainder was made by architects" (Bornsen-Holtmann 9). Woodham notes, "Italian design established a reputationfor style and sophistication in a number of fields where design is asignificant factor including automobiles, furniture and furnishings,lighting, interior design, and fashion" (121). The emergence of a distinctly Italian "look" did not mean thateverything from Italy actually looked the same - or even that everythingwas created using the same rules. didn't happen overnight. Dormer argues that this ongoingdialogue is a key reason for continued Italian dominance. Design in Italy: 187 to the Present.
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