Gio Ponti: Artist, Architect, Writer, Designer, and Visionary

The Georgia Museum of Art recently acquired four plates and a platter designed by Gio Ponti (1891–1979) a famous Milanese architect and designer. Ponti worked as the artistic director and designer for the Florentine firm Richard-Ginori, which manufactured ceramics, from 1923 to 1938: this served as the beginning of his long career designing other household and decorative items, such as furniture, glassware and silverware. He also designed apartment buildings, palazzos and public buildings of all types, including business towers and university buildings. He was the editor and founder of both Domus and Stile magazines, dedicated to Italian architecture and the decorative arts, and he served as professor of architecture at Politecnico di Milano University for 25 years.

Typical of Italian decorative arts in the 1920s and 1930s, Ponti appears to have been inspired by ancient classical artwork, in this case Etruscan. Benito Mussolini’s Fascist regime encouraged a conscious return to Italy’s ancient roots, seeking to instill in all Italians a pride in their heritage and a belief that they were destined to rebuild the ancient Roman Empire. Although Ponti engaged with the Fascist regime and shared its appreciation for classical culture, he was essentially apolitical.

Ponti also appears to have been inspired by scenes from contemporary life, as the charming circus figures on these platters show. Later in his career, he became known for his sleek, modern designs, such as his Superleggera furniture and the Pirelli Tower. An artist and visionary of extraordinary versatility, Ponti’s life and work will be highlighted in an upcoming summer 2017 exhibition at the Georgia Museum of Art, which will focus on his furniture design.

For more information about Gio Ponti and his art: www.gioponti.com.

Rebecca Stapleford
Publications Intern

Art Opening at the High- "European Design Since 1985: Shaping the New Century"

The High Museum of Art is known for its impressive 19th-century American decorative arts collection of antique furniture and design, ranging from a beautiful red sofa by John Jelliff and Company of New Jersey, circa 1865- 1875, to the colorful Quilted Bedcover by an unknown African American maker circa 1875-1900. However, June 5, 2010, marks a shift in the museum’s focus on design with the opening of “European Design Since 1985: Shaping the New Century,” which runs until August 29, 2010.

Working with Modern Atlanta (MA), the museum hopes that the public will respond well to the exhibition covering the last twenty years of design. As local schools and universities like SCAD Atlanta and Georgia Tech supply creative energy and students, Atlanta appears to be in the market for more contemporary exhibitions. MA hosts events “to promote design excellence that comes through the creation of sought-after services and desirable products that inspire and satisfy the needs of humanity, and in turn, encourage sustainable practices in lives, businesses, and the public” (http://bit.ly/c2pNkn). The exhibition coincides with six days of presentations focusing on contemporary design as well as “Design After Dark,” a cocktail party on the High's piazza on Saturday, June 5, 2010, from 7 to 11 pm.

The exhibition will include works from fourteen Western European countries and designers including John Angelo Benson and Ron Arad. The pieces seek to overcome traditional boundaries set by politics and culture and reach a higher aesthetic of art and design. Using materials like hay, glass or metalwork, the furniture comes together as visually stunning and avant-garde.

For more information on the exhibition, please visit http://bit.ly/9C4mZZ. Also, check out last week’s AccessAtlanta article for information on the collaboration between the High and MA.