Designer of the day: Enzo Mari
Enzo Mari is an Italian designer who is not as well known as he deserves considering his fantastic work.
Jasper Morrison has described his works as ‘masterpieces - rare combinations of intellectual puzzles and beautiful lines’.
Typography meets industrial design
I find these objects stunning. The marriage of typography and product design appeals, but also how well executed they are.
Fantastic form
This children’s chair is another classic Mari product - simple yet endearing.
Self assembly chair
This is such a wonderful, characterful product. Not only is it highly consistent with current environmental concerns, and a growing make and mend culture, but it manages to exude such personality. For me this is one of his masterpieces.
This article shows the chair being assembled.
Here is an interesting video where Mari recounts the story behind the chair, and some of his other products. It’s excellently produced, and is about the longest English subtitled interview I’ve come across with Mari.
Quotes
“I am often asked - what is the ideal object that I would have wanted to create - I always answer: the ball! You start to use it at age of one and you play with it up to ninety, over time the ball allows you to follow different rules. it’s never conditioning.”
“The problem with form is the search for it’s soul.”
“Design is only design if it communicates knowledge.”
“When I create a project I always want it to last for at least 100 years or even 1000 years.”