Joe Colombo: design that lies between pure art, irony and utopian dream

 An iconic art form such as the cinema often makes use of other forms of creativity to support its persuasiveness. Just consider characters such as Agent 007, James Bond, who has always been associated with fast cars and sharp clothing, accessories inspired by design and fashion. In one scene in which the star was still being played by Sean Connery, several Bonds ago, His Majesty’s agent turns with his sly smile and sits down on a chair upholstered with alluring, padded shapes. It was the Elda chair, designed by Colombo in 1963. Joe Colombo was one of the stars of Italian design who, beginning in the 1960s, made a name for themselves and for Italy throughout the world. He was the son of a businessman, and studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan, starting out his career as a painter. He became part of the “Movimento Nucleare”, founded by Enrico Baj and Sergio Dangelo. After having produced experimental works that were somewhere between surrealism and...

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