Multi-Chair (position studies: recto, seven; verso, three)
One of the main questions Joe Cesare Colombo focused on as a designer was functionality. In his designs he explored the ways in which an object could both be elegant and simple, while at the same time highly practical. This meant that he thought of ways to limit the amount of space an object would need, allowing it to be taken apart, folded together or stacked, and it also often resulted in assigning it a multi-purpose use. In these studies, Colombo demonstrates the many ways in which one of his last designs, the two-part Multi-chair, could be used. The leather strap allows the two elements to be taken apart and assembled in different ways to sit, sleep or simply hang out in one’s apartment. The sophisticated and minimalistic character of the Multi-chair gives it a timeless quality, which is one of the reasons why this and many of his other pieces are still sold on the market today.
Artwork Details
- Title: Multi-Chair (position studies: recto, seven; verso, three)
- Artist: Joe Colombo (Italian, Milan 1930–1971 Milan)
- Date: 1970
- Medium: Black and red markers
- Dimensions: 11-3/4 x 15-3/4 in. (29.8 x 40.0 cm)
- Classifications: Drawings, Ornament & Architecture
- Credit Line: Gift of Ignazia Favata, Studio of Joe Colombo, 1987
- Object Number: 1987.1096.8
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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Joe Colombo
1970
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ca. 1962
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