Enzo Mari | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | 19 October 2020 | (aged 88)
Spouse | |
Website |
enzomari |
Enzo Mari (27 April 1932 [1] [2] – 19 October 2020) was an Italian modernist artist and furniture designer who is known to have influenced many generations of industrial designers. [3] [4]
Mari was born in Novara, Italy, and he studied at the Brera Academy in Milan, Italy from 1952 to 1956. [5]
He drew inspiration from the idealism of the arts and crafts movement and his political views as a communist. [6]
From 1956 onward, he specialized in industrial design and created a portfolio of more than 2,000 works. [5] In the 1960s, he published a series of books with his then-wife Iela Mari, including "The Apple and the Butterfly," a book of illustrations depicting the story of a caterpillar and an apple, without any text. [7]
In the 1970s as a professor at The Humanitarian Society, he founded the Nuova Tendenza art movement in Milan. [8] Also in that decade, he designed the Sof Sof chair [9] and the "Box" chair. [10] In 1974, in reaction to the mass production of furniture, Enzo Mari created a book entitled, Autoprogettazione, which deals with the DIY construction of furniture and provides plans and instructions on how to create 19 items of furniture from ubiquitous materials. [11] [12] In the 1980s, he designed the modernist Tonietta chair. [13]
Mari also taught at University of Parma, the Accademia Carrara, and the Milan Polytechnic. [8]
Multiple works by Mari have been on display at the Museum of Modern Art. [14] He had retrospective shows in Turin, [15] and an important presentation of his work in the "Adhocracy" show, during the first Istanbul Design Biennial. In addition, the Triennale, Milan is exhibiting a tribute to Mari, curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist with Francesca Giacomelli. [16]
He donated the archive of his designs to the city of Milan on the condition that it may not be displayed for 40 years. [5]
Mari married children's book illustrator Iela Mari in 1955; they had two children. [17]
He married art critic, theoretician and performance artist Lea Vergine, [18] in 1978. They had known each other since the 1960s. [19] He died from COVID-19 on 19 October 2020, at the age of 88, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. [20] His wife died a day later, also from COVID-19. [21]
Enzo Mari | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | 19 October 2020 | (aged 88)
Spouse | |
Website |
enzomari |
Enzo Mari (27 April 1932 [1] [2] – 19 October 2020) was an Italian modernist artist and furniture designer who is known to have influenced many generations of industrial designers. [3] [4]
Mari was born in Novara, Italy, and he studied at the Brera Academy in Milan, Italy from 1952 to 1956. [5]
He drew inspiration from the idealism of the arts and crafts movement and his political views as a communist. [6]
From 1956 onward, he specialized in industrial design and created a portfolio of more than 2,000 works. [5] In the 1960s, he published a series of books with his then-wife Iela Mari, including "The Apple and the Butterfly," a book of illustrations depicting the story of a caterpillar and an apple, without any text. [7]
In the 1970s as a professor at The Humanitarian Society, he founded the Nuova Tendenza art movement in Milan. [8] Also in that decade, he designed the Sof Sof chair [9] and the "Box" chair. [10] In 1974, in reaction to the mass production of furniture, Enzo Mari created a book entitled, Autoprogettazione, which deals with the DIY construction of furniture and provides plans and instructions on how to create 19 items of furniture from ubiquitous materials. [11] [12] In the 1980s, he designed the modernist Tonietta chair. [13]
Mari also taught at University of Parma, the Accademia Carrara, and the Milan Polytechnic. [8]
Multiple works by Mari have been on display at the Museum of Modern Art. [14] He had retrospective shows in Turin, [15] and an important presentation of his work in the "Adhocracy" show, during the first Istanbul Design Biennial. In addition, the Triennale, Milan is exhibiting a tribute to Mari, curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist with Francesca Giacomelli. [16]
He donated the archive of his designs to the city of Milan on the condition that it may not be displayed for 40 years. [5]
Mari married children's book illustrator Iela Mari in 1955; they had two children. [17]
He married art critic, theoretician and performance artist Lea Vergine, [18] in 1978. They had known each other since the 1960s. [19] He died from COVID-19 on 19 October 2020, at the age of 88, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. [20] His wife died a day later, also from COVID-19. [21]