Gaetano Pesce — Designing beyond function
“Why do I have to do a rectangle, abstract table that is not telling anything more than that geometry?” (Pesce, 2013).
Gaetano Pesce is an example of how design can be coupled with art. Pesce creates designs focused on communicating messages rather than for functioning and decorative purposes only. Using a wide range of techniques, Pesce often expresses his personal opinion and motives on his designs, which can raise social, religious and political questions and affect other people’s opinions and beliefs.
Gaetano is an Italian architect, industrial designer, artist and researcher (Gaetano Pesce, 2015). Born in La Spezia, Italy in 1939, starts his career in the early 60’s where he initiates his studies in architecture and industrial design at the University of Venice. Furthermore, he becomes a participant of Gruppo N, an artist collective based in Padua, focused on studies in programmed art (Cassina, 2014). Early in his career, Pesce developed a close friendship with the designer Cesare Cassina, which later became his mentor, providing Pesce a monthly salary to work on his projects. Cassina supported Pesce experiments with new materials and encouraged him gaining knowledge in material manipulation, in order to achieve the results he desired on his objects (Cotoranu, 2008). Apart from living in Venice, Gaetano Pesce has also lived in London, Helsinki, Paris and currently in New York. With commissions in architecture, urban planning, interior, exhibition and industrial design, Gaetano’s work is spread and recognised around the globe.
Although it is difficult to point out every reason which led Gaetano Pesce to be a well-known and successful designer, there are a few aspects that were in his favour. In 1945, due to Italy’s rapid industrial, urban and economic expansion and the implementation of a democratic regime after the World War II, Gaetano and many other designers were able to thrive in Italy (Sparke, 1998). The access to more materials and the exposure to multiple design movements, that celebrated the use of the machine, conducted Pesce to embrace technological progress (Anon, 2014). Futurism for example, had an impact in the way Gaetano creates his designs.
Despite embracing industrialisation, Pesce wanted the objects he created to be unique. He achieves this by combining materials and processes of production in a way that the final piece is different from the previous one. Although they have the same design, each object has a different shape, size and colour. For instance, the Carenza bookshelf was created by allowing bubbles to form in the plastic material that is made of. This caused parts of the plastic to break from the edges, attributing each bookshelf distinctive visual properties (Cotoranu, 2008).
Furthermore, Pesce believes that there is no barrier between design and art. A mass manufactured object could be used to spread powerful and meaningful messages, as a tool for knowledge and raising questions (Hunting, 2013). Gaetano focused on pushing the boundaries of design, art and architecture by using unusual materials, such as polyurethane foam and flexible resin. Also, he designed buildings with unexpected layouts, moving against trends. His methods conditioned each design to be unique, intending to go against profit-driven, plain and abstract objects that focus only on functionality (Cotoranu, 2008). Applying these ideas on his creations, may have played an important role on the outcome of many political and social values discussions, such as freedom, equality, feminism and racism. In addition, his objects can reach many individuals, spreading the message on a larger scale, as result of its production process.
In 1969, Gaetano created one of his most known designs, “Up 5”. A chair that would become one of the most famous chairs in the 20th century (Pesce, 2013). This piece makes a good example of Gaetano’s manner of thought being embedded into a design. He created a chair that expresses his personal political views about how women are treated in the Islam world and the presence of gender inequality all over the world. During a presentation at HAMMER Museum (Museum, 2014), Gaetano mentions that the object is not only functional but a commentary of reality. The material chosen to accomplish the piece, polyurethane foam, was inspired by a sponge he used while taking a shower, since it can be manipulated but it comes back to its original form. Furthermore, Pesce often says that “the future is female”.
Being brought up by his mother and briefly enrolling on a convent academy for girls, might have influenced his work on the “Up series”. This design also serves as an example of how Gaetano is influenced by people, experiences and events that he believes are important to highlight.
Gaetano was also distinguished in architecture. The Organic Building in Osaka is one of his most famous designs. The company was looking to rebuild their office building and wanted to make a statement. Gaetano gave the building a natural and interesting expression by creating a vertical garden, covering the walls of the building. Additionally, he applied colours and materials that contrast with the surrounding area, predominantly populated with grey tones. The building saw completion in 1993 when the idea of “living walls” was about to break through (Shapedscape, 2014). This creation may have influenced other architects that use nature in their architecture designs.
Nowdays, Gaetano’s creations have great value and can be seen in exhibitions throughout the world. A series of affordable objects for the home entitled “Fish Design” is available for the general public, designed by Gaetano Pesce and produced by Corsi Design (Pesce, 2014).
Studying techniques that allow to mass manufacture unique objects, allows variety to increase among societies where product customisation is trending (Addessi et al., 2010). Gaetano Pesce, developed his personal style by applying his values in his work and developing techniques that move against design trends. Not only he adds meaning to the object, but also attempts to convey messages that raise questions about topics that affect a large audience.
References
Addessi, E., Mancini, A., Crescimbene, L., Ariely, D. and Visalberghi, E. (2010) How to spend a token? Trade-offs between food variety and food preference in tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella). Behavioural Processes [online]. 83 (3), pp. 267– 275. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03766357/83/3 [Accessed 17 March 2016]
Anon, (2014) Design Movements Timeline. Available from: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/design-movements-timeline-6428679 [Accessed 12 February 2016]
Cassina (2014) Cassina. Available from: http://www.cassina.com/en/designer/gaetano-pesce [Accessed 28 January 2016]
Cotoranu, A. (2008) Gaetano Pesce: Ideas and Innovation. Available from: http://www.sfu.ca/italiadesign/2008/pretrip/Papers/GaetanoPesce_AlexCotoranu.pdf [Accessed 28 February 2016]
Gaetano Pesce (2015) Gaetano Pesce. Available from: http://www.gaetanopesce.com/ [Accessed 28 January 2016] Hunting, C. (2013) Gaetano Pesce. Vimeo [video]. Available from: https://vimeo.com/55134658 [Accessed 04 February 2016]
Museum, H. (2014) Gaetano Pesce. Vimeo [video]. Available from: https://vimeo.com/92306241 [Accessed 04 February 2016]
Pesce, G. (2013) The Designs of Gaetano Pesce. T Magazine [video]. 08 May. Available from: http://www.nytimes.com/video/t- magazine/100000002214791/collective1-design-fair-gaetano-pesce.html [Accessed 29 January 2016]
Pesce, G., (2014) Corsi Design. Available from: http://www.corsidesign.it/pages/fishDesign/gaetano_pesce_bio.php?lang=eng [Accessed 03 March 2016]
Shapedscape (2014) Organic Buildin. Available from: http://www.shapedscape.com/projects/organic-building-design-architect-gaetano- pesce-osaka-japan [Accessed 03 March 2016]
Sparke, P. (1998) The Straw Donkey: Tourist Kitsch or Proto-Design? Craft and Design in Italy, 1945–1960. Jounal of Design History [online]. 11 (1): 59–69. [Acessed 10 February] (http://www.aisdesign.org/aisd/en/the-straw-donkey-tourist- kitsch-or-proto-design-craft-and-design-in-italy-1945–1960)
