357 Feltri
A familiar figure on many
modern antiques’ and collectors’ sites, Feltri is a summation of thinking about
figuration in the hybrid zone where the artistic meets the functional. One of a
kind, this piece stands out for its enormous flexibility and for the fact that
the mattress-like seat can be upholstered in wide array of fabrics. These can
be mixed and matched with the six new colour options of the frame, to provide a
total of ten colourways. Feltri was created within Cassina’s Research Centre, a
place synonymous with experimentation and constructional avant-garde thinking.
Here, Gaetano Pesce dedicated time and thought to the design, in the process
thinking up a complex new manufacturing process that was later patented by the
company. Created entirely from dense wool felt, the pliable, wrap-around back
is all one piece. The lower section, meanwhile, is rigid and sturdy, thanks to
being impregnated with a thermosetting resin. The seat is attached to the frame
using hemp ties; these also extend around the chair’s upper part. A comfortable
quilt, coupled with polyester wadding, serves to upholster the inner section of
the chair.
About Designer | |
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Gaetano Pesce |
Gaetano Pesce was born in La Spezia in 1939.
He studied architecture at the IUAV in Venice, and attended the Venice
Institute of Industrial design. At this experimental school, he met Milena
Vettore with whom he opened a studio in Padua, founding in 1959 the “N” Group
which focussed on with studies in programmed art. He carries out research in
the field of kinetic and serial art. He is in the theatre and the cinema,
concerned with lighting, movement and sound as means of expression. Since 1962
he has worked in design, experimenting with new materials and unusual shapes.
In 1971 he collaborated with BracciodiFerro (in the Cassina group) for the
production of certain experimental objects (like Moloch, 1971, a table lamp
blown up to the dimensions of an ironic and emblematic item). In 1972 he took
part in the famous exhibition “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape” at MoMA in
New York, with a dwelling module. Experimentation and irony are also exhibited
in his projects for Cassina, amongst which the Tramonto a New York sofa (1980)
and the Feltri armchair (1987). After a long period in Paris, he moved to New
York in 1983 and now lives and works there. Examples of his work may be found
in the most important design museums all over the world. |