Profile: Pirro Cuniberti (1923–2016)
Pirro Cuniberti (born Pier Achille Cuniberti) was a highly original figure in 20th-century Italian art, known for his poetic and "fantastic" style.
Key Biography Points
Education: He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, where he was a pupil of the famous painter Giorgio Morandi.
Influences: While Morandi was his teacher, Cuniberti was deeply influenced by the work of Paul Klee, whom he discovered at the 1948 Venice Biennale and considered a "spiritual father."
Style and Media: His work is characterized by delicate, rhythmic lines and a sense of "silent luminosity." He was a master of drawing on paper, often using ballpoint pens, and later became known for working on masonite panels using acrylics and graphite.
Design: In addition to fine art, he was a designer. One of his most famous designs is the "PR" floor lamp created for the firm Sirrah in 1970.
Major Works and Contributions
Illustrations: He illustrated the book I meravigliosi animali di Stranalandia (1984) by the famous Italian author Stefano Benni.
Logotype: He designed the official logo for "Bologna 2000: European Capital of Culture."
Exhibitions: His work has been shown at the Venice Biennale and the Rome Quadrenniale. Major anthological exhibitions were dedicated to him at the Pinacoteca di Bologna (1984, 1991) and the Museo Archeologico di Bologna (2003).
Legacy
Cuniberti lived and worked in Bologna for most of his life until his passing in 2016. In 2023, the Archivio Pier Achille Cuniberti was established to preserve and promote his artistic corpus.
Sirrah was an influential Italian lighting manufacturer that played a significant role in the Golden Age of Italian design. Named after the star Sirrah in the Andromeda constellation, the company became synonymous with minimalist elegance and technical innovation.
1. History and Background
Foundation: Sirrah was founded in Imola, Italy, in 1968.
Philosophy: The company was known for bridging the gap between industrial production and high-level craftsmanship, maintaining a "refined and artisanal" quality in its products.
Acquisition: In 1994, the company was acquired by the major lighting group iGuzzini.
Merger: In June 2004, Sirrah was fully incorporated into iGuzzini, marking the end of its life as a standalone brand, though many of its iconic designs remain highly sought after by collectors today.
2. Iconic Designers and Collaborations
Sirrah collaborated with some of the most prestigious architects and artists of the 20th century:
Studio Albini-Helg-Piva: They were the first to design for the brand, debuting a series of lamps at the 1968 Triennale. Their AM/AS series (including the AS1N table lamp) is considered a masterpiece of modular lighting design.
Kazuhide Takahama: Perhaps the most famous Sirrah collaborator. In 1973, he introduced the use of heat-resistant, elastic fabric. His Saori, Kaori, and Kazuki lamp series are icons of 1970s minimalism.
Dino Gavina: The legendary entrepreneur collaborated with Sirrah to produce artistic pieces like "La Lune sous le chapeau" (The Moon Under the Hat), based on a design by the Surrealist artist Man Ray.
Pirro Cuniberti: The artist (mentioned in our previous discussion) designed the "PR" floor lamp (c. 1970), which combined his graphic sensibility with industrial form.
Emilio Ambasz: In the 1980s, he designed the Soffio system, which utilized high-quality materials and innovative technical solutions.
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Venditore SILVER a Padova, Italy
