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Lot 326
Sottsass, Ettore
Estimated Value:
1.500 € - 2.500 €
Schätzpreis:
5.000 €
Description:
1917, Innsbruck - 2007, Mailand195 x 100 x 15 cm
Wall mirror "Ultrafragola", 1970. execution by Poltronova.
Molded PMMA plastic, mirror glass, chipboard back. Old internal electrification (intact). With wall mounts.
Ettore Sottsass, a native of Austria, is undoubtedly considered one of the most important designers of the 20th century. His fascinating designs, for example for the office equipment manufacturer Olivetti or the design collective Memphis, are milestones of design. This original "Ultrafragola" mirror from the 1970s series is a sensational example and is one of his most important creations for the Italian design company Poltronova. At the time of its creation, Sottsass was working there as art director and experimenting with illuminated fiberglass. As part of the resulting Mobili Grigi product series, the curved, large- format wall mirror was one of the standout designs.
When the neon tubes inside the mirror are turned on, they transform the shell, which is ivory in color when turned off, into a stunningly luminous neon yellow.
Private property, Baden-Württemberg.
The 'Ultrafragola', with its illuminated and curved contour, conveys a transcendent pop spirituality. A subtle feature is the symbolism of mirrors as doors to alternative universes, suggesting a balance between reality and illusion. This motif was first introduced in the 1949 film 'Orphee' by Jean Cocteau, in which mirrors represented the transition between the present and the underworld.
The curved shape of the mirror frame also stylized suggests a woman's hair, which gives the design an additional aesthetic dimension.
