2007 ended with the death of an icon in the art and design community, Ettore Sottsass, who died of heart failure at age 90. I'm one of those people who anthropomorphizes inanimate objects, expecting a little personality in the design of just about everything, whether my mouse pad or my coffee cup. This is why I love the work of Ettore Sottsass!Sottsass had a long and unique life, punctuated by very dark days (time spent in a concentration camp during WWII), and greatness (some of the world's highest design awards). He is perhaps best known for imbuing normally hum-drum items, such as typewriters and other office tools, with colorful personalities, suggesting a change should be made in the way we view the inanimate objects we surround ourselves with on a daily basis. Click here to view a Sottsass bio.
In 2006, LACMA hosted the first Sottsass retrospective in the US - it was a terrific show, beautifully capturing both Sottsass's quirky aesthetic and and desire to give life and character to so-called everyday objects. Click here to read a brief interview with the curator of that exhibition, Ronald T. Labaco, LACMA’s assistant curator of decorative arts.
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