Achille Castiglioni

by Matteo Guarnaccia, Steven Guarnaccia

This new monograph documents the work of international master of design Achille Castiglioni. During his half-century career, Castiglioni has designed over 150 objects, including lamps, stools, bookshelves, electrical switches, cameras, telephones, vacuum cleaners and car seats. Many of his designs, like the Arco and Brera lamps, the Firenze wall clock, the RR 126 stereo system, and the Primate seat, achieve the highest standards of visual art as well as design, and several of his works are featured in the design collections of major museums. Taking as his motto ''Design demands observation,'' Castiglioni has created objects that are inspired by and respond to the demands of everyday life, basing some of his most famous designs on quotidian objects like a street lamps or a car's front reflector. His work is marked throughout by an attention both to the timeless essentials of great design and to the changing behavior and values of modern culture. This catalogue presents the highlights of Castiglioni's 50-year career in design in sumptuous reproductions, documenting an oeuvre that constitutes one of the highest expressions of contemporary creativity.

168 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2001

Reviews

[Topaz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book that accompanies a museum exhibit so expectations are low. It is a small picture book with almost no text, that features most of the products from the exhibit. Each product is accompanied by a cartoon sketch as well.

All the photos are black and white and there is 1 sentence written about each precut next to the sketch. It is a small format book that you can read in 30 minutes.

There are some typos and some products showing sketches that aren’t shown with photos. There’s not really anything special about this book.

If you want to read or learn more about Achille Castiglioni look elsewhere.