Alessandro Guerriero - Design New York Thursday, June 12, 2008 | Phillips

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  • Catalogue Essay

    In 1976, Alessandro Guerriero launched the iconic design collective Studio Alchimia with his contemporaries Alessandro Mendini and Ettore Sottsass.  The Alchimia group was firmly rooted in the radical social movements of the 1960s.  As Guerriero explained, “When we considered the problem of radical design, with all its implicit criticism of other products, industries and situations, we decided that this force could be put into effect through the product.”  They used visual irony and irreverent humor to revolt against the dominant aesthetic of austere functionalism.  The name of the present lot, the “Guerriero” chair, is a play on words, referring to the name of the artist as well as the Italian word for “warrior.” The bold pattern and gape-filled silhouette of this object exemplify Guerriero’s formal strategies of rebellion.

152

Unique “Guerriero” chair

1978
Painted metal. 
43 3/8 in. (110.2 cm) high
Produced for Studio Alchimia, Italy.

Estimate
$15,000 - 20,000 

Sold for $34,600

Design

12 June 2008, 2pm
New York