Philippe Thomé’s enormous, encyclopedic homage to the great designer, simply called Ettore Sottsass, is a stunning piece of work that belongs on the bookshelf of anyone even remotely interested in industrial design, architecture, furniture design, or the creative process. Bizarrely described on Amazon by the publisher, Phaidon, as a « glimpse into the archive », this tome is anything but a glimpse. It is a full-on walk through of every moment of a long, incredibly prolific and creative life. Almost every one of its 450+ pages is filled with sketches, photographs of products and buildings, and photos of – and by – Sottsass himself.
The life and work of Ettore Sottsass is more relevant than ever, with exhibitions around the world and renewed collector interest in the Memphis movement. Now available in a new format, this book, packed with beautiful images taken from the extensive Sottsass archives and including drawings and sketches from the designer’s countless sketchbooks, explores his entire career from the 1940s to the 2000s, covering everything from his architectural projects and product design to his jewellery, sculpture, and graphics.
