Gaetano Pesce was of a generation of Italian architects who in the early 1960s rebelled against the industrial perfection of modernism by conceiving new furniture and objects that were at once expressive and eccentric in form; or you might say they were more like art than functionalist design.
Born in the picturesque coastal Italian city of La Spezia in 1939, Pesce was a precocious talent who could have forged a career as an artist but opted instead to go to Venice to study architecture because, as he has said, it was “the most complex of all the arts.” Rather than having new worlds opened to him at design school, however, Pesce found the rationalist curriculum oppressive in its insistence on standardization and prescribed materials and technologies.
Pesce wanted to explore the latest of both materials and technologies to create objects and buildings never before imagined, with what he called “personalities” that spoke to the issues of the day. He was keen to examine ways to diversify mass production so that each manufactured work could be distinct.
In 1964, Pesce met Cesare Cassina, of the forward-looking furniture company C&B Italia in Milan (now known as B&B Italia), for whom he would create many important designs, beginning with a collection of what he called “transformational furniture” — two chairs and a loveseat — made entirely out of high-density polyurethane foam. To make the pieces easy to ship and cost-efficient, he proposed that after being covered in a stretch jersey, they be put in a vacuum, then heat-sealed flat between vinyl sheets. Once the foam was removed from its packaging, the piece returned to its original shape — hence, the name Up for the series, which debuted in 1969.
In addition to these pieces, Pesce proposed for the collection something he referred to as an “anti-armchair,” which took the shape of a reclining fertility goddess, the iconic Donna.
Producing the piece's complex form turned out to be a technical challenge. Bayer, the foam’s manufacturer, deemed it impossible to accomplish. Pesce persisted and came up with a new procedure, demonstrating not only the designer’s key role in researching the nature and potential of new materials but also his vital importance in “doubting rules.” The Up chair and accompanying ottoman were born, and they were revolutionary in more ways than one.
In the early 1970s, Pesce began exploring one of his key concepts, the idea of the industrial originals. Employing a mold without air holes, and adding a blood-red dye to the polyurethane, he cast a bookcase that resembled a demolished wall, the rough edges of the shelves and posts resulting from fissures in the material made by trapped air.
Through his research into polyurethane, Pesce figured out a way to make a loveseat and armchair using only a simple wood frame and strong canvas covering as a mold. Since the fabric developed random folds during the injection process, the pieces were similar but not identical. Cassina named the suite of furnishings Sit Down and introduced it in 1975. By experimenting with felt soaked in polyurethane and resin, Pesce conceived I Feltri, another collection of armchairs introduced by Cassina in 1987.
Pesce went on to live a life that defied expectation and convention and along the way became one of the most seminal figures in art and design.
Find vintage Gaetano Pesce chairs, sofas, vases and more on 1stDibs.
Gaetano Pesce Armchair - Nobody's Perfect - Collection , Zerodisegno, 2000's
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in PARIS, FR
Nobody's perfect chair by Gaetano Pesce, Zerodisegno / Italy, 2003 Mark: Zerodisegno / Gaetano Pesce, 2003 Signed and dated 19 05 03 UNIQUE PIECE.
Resin
" Nobody's King" Gaetano Pesce, Nobody's perfect serie, Zerodisegno
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in PARIS, FR
The King armchair by Gaetano Pesce, 2003, made by Zerodisegno, is part of the "Nobody's Perfect" collection made by Gaetano Pesce for Zerodisegno, stamped and dated by hand in the re...
Resin
Gaetano Pesce "Nobody's Perfect" Chair, Zerodisegno
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in PARIS, FR
Nobody's perfect chair Gaetano Pesce, Zerodisegno / Italy Mark: Zerodisegno / Gaetano Pesce Signed and dated: 27. 11. 09 UNIQUE PIECE. Excellent condition
Epoxy Resin
Broadway chair, Gaetano Pesce, Bernini, 1993
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in PARIS, FR
Broadway chair, Gaetano Pesce, Bernini, 1993 Gaetano Pesce ‘Broadway’ chair produced by Bernini with four rubber-capped feet standing on ...
Metal
side table Nobody's Perfect by Gaetano Pesce, Zerodisegno, 2000s
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in PARIS, FR
Table from the Nobody’s Perfect series, 2005 ZeroDisegno Table in polyurethane resin and molded plastic tinted orange and red throughout Signed dated and numbered ( cf photos ) Also ...
Resin
Set of 2 "TV chairs" by Marc Newson, Moroso, 1993
By Marc Newson
Located in PARIS, FR
Set of 2 "TV chairs" by Marc Newson, Moroso, 1993 Painted steel tube, self-skinning injection-molded polyurethane foam 2 stackables chair, the shape is an e...
Steel
Nobody’s Queen Chair, Gaetano Pesce for Zerodisegno, 2003
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Created by Italian architect and designer Gaetano Pesce, the Nobody’s Queen Chair is a striking example of his long-standing exploration of individuality, material experimentation, a...
Resin
Gaetano Pesce The Faces Chair from Nobody's Perfect series by Zerodisegno 2005
By Zerodisegno, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Cascina, Pisa
The Faces chair from the Nobody's Perfect series is in resin with plastic pegs, designed by Gaetano Pesce and produced by Zerodisegno 2005. With the manufacturer's brand stamped on the back-side. Gaetano Pesce is a prominent contemporary Italian designer and architect known for his bold experimentation with materials and color. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with some of Italy's leading design companies, including Artemide, Vitra, Cassina, and B&B Italia. Born in 1939 in La Spezia, near Genoa, Pesce enrolled at the University of Venice in 1959 to study architecture and graduated in 1965. During the final years of his studies, he also participated in courses at the Venice College of Industrial Design, where he was influenced by distinguished faculty members like Ernesto Nathan Rogers and Mario Bellini. Encouraged by their teachings to embrace innovation in modern design, Pesce became involved with an avant-garde architectural collective called “Gruppo N,” which drew inspiration from the streamlined aesthetics of the Bauhaus. These diverse inspirations equipped Pesce to embrace contemporary materials and explore the forms they enabled. His designs range from small decorative objects to large architectural spaces and reflect deep contemplation of the modern era. Notable works include his iconic La Mamma...
Resin, Plastic
Gaetano Pesce Nobody’s perfect chair Zerodesigno Italy 2007
By Zerodisegno, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
This rare and one-of-a-kind “Nobody’s Perfect” chair, designed by Gaetano Pesce and manufactured by Zerodesigno, Italy, in 2007, is a striking example of postmodern functional art. P...
Resin
Gaetano Pesce "Nobody's Perfect" chair for Zerodisegno
By Zerodisegno, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Rotterdam, ZH
“Nobody’s Perfect” chair by Gaetano Pesce (La Spezia 1939 – New York 2024) for Zerodisegno, Italy, 2005. The concept of the chair reflects Pesce’s radical design philosophy, in which...
Resin
Gaetano Pesce Nobody's Perfect Small Chair in Red Resin by Zerodisegno 2000s
By Zerodisegno, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Cascina, Pisa
Small chair in red and black resin from the Nobody's Perfect series designed by Gaetano Pesce and produced by Zerodisegno 2002. With the manufacturer's brand stamped on the back side. Gaetano Pesce is a prominent contemporary Italian designer and architect known for his bold experimentation with materials and color. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with some of Italy's leading design companies, including Artemide, Vitra, Cassina, and B&B Italia. Born in 1939 in La Spezia, near Genoa, Pesce enrolled at the University of Venice in 1959 to study architecture and graduated in 1965. During the final years of his studies, he also participated in courses at the Venice College of Industrial Design, where he was influenced by distinguished faculty members like Ernesto Nathan Rogers and Mario Bellini. Encouraged by their teachings to embrace innovation in modern design, Pesce became involved with an avant-garde architectural collective called “Gruppo N,” which drew inspiration from the streamlined aesthetics of the Bauhaus. These diverse inspirations equipped Pesce to embrace contemporary materials and explore the forms they enabled. His designs range from small decorative objects to large architectural spaces and reflect deep contemplation of the modern era. Notable works include his iconic La Mamma chair...
Resin
Gaetano Pesce La Smorfia Chair Meritalia, 2003
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Postmodern chair designed by Gaetano Pesce and manufactured by Meritalia, Italy 2003. This unique shaped chair is more of a sculpture and fits perfectly in the oeuvre from Pesce, wit...
Metal
