Joe Colombo Inventing the Future

The first-ever catalogue raisonne of the work of Milanese product designer Joe Colombo, who produced an extraordinarily broad and influential body of work in his tragically short career. He died of heart failure in 1971, at the age of 41, but he created some of the most memorable products of the 1960s, from the Universale, the first chair to be molded from a single material, to the futuristic, all-in-one living systems which culminated in his opulent Visiona, the "habitat of the future." The catalog of an exhibition which will include the Vitra Design Museum, London, Milan and Berlin, the book emphasizes Colombo's image of himself as "creator of the environment of the future." His designs were based on his quite accurate predictions about the future of Western culture, including the idea that traditional families would give way to small affinity groups; he was very excited about new technologies and materials such as plastics, fiberglass and curved plywood. Twenty-first century Americans will be delighted with Colombo's flexible, modular, stackable and multi-use designs, including bedrooms in boxes and gizmos like the Ragno outdoor light, which can also be used as a seat. The first half of the book includes essays by a number of critics and associates, including Ignazia Favata, Colombo's last assistant. The second half covers his entire productive career, centering on the period from 1962-1971, retracing each project from initial drawings to completion. Features the design process itself, with never-before-seen sketches, plans and images. Richly illustrated in color and black-and-white.von Vigisack, Alexander is the author of 'Joe Colombo Inventing the Future', published 2005 under ISBN 9783931936587 and ISBN 3931936589.