An era-defining oeuvre: Mario Bellini’s first monograph

Maria Bellini's fruitful, era-defining career is being celebrated in his first monograph, by Enrico Morteo and published by Phaidon

(Image credit: Phaidon)

Mario Bellini is one of those rare designers whose work can truly be said to span generations. A cursory glance through this new Phaidon monograph – the first dedicated to the Italian designer – reveals the expected parade of candy-coloured forms and elaborate era-defining shapes, but there's much, much more to his long-running and still very much active career.

Bellini first came to prominence as an outstanding designer of machines, translating the function of technology into form that was both aesthetically harmonious and easy to understand. It was the heyday of Italy's dominance of the electronics manufacturing industry and in his hands the typewriter, telephone and hi-fi became playful, friendly objects, their complex innards seamlessly integrated by sleek, colourful aesthetics. For the first time, technology was the equal to the creations of his contemporaries in furniture and architecture, a bold counterpoint to the dry functionalism of the German product design of the same era. It's an approach we now take for granted, as technology is increasingly accepted as an extension of our selves.

Even Bellini's experimentations with the automobile were prescient. The Kar-a-sutra concept of 1972, developed in collaboration with Cassina and reproduced here in all its lime green glory, neatly prefigured the rise of the people carrier more than a decade later. Its lounge-style, reconfigurable seating still has great relevance for the interiors-focused, quasi-autonomous cars of the future.

The monograph concludes with an illustrated chronology of all Bellini's product design and furniture, including the work he did for Olivetti and Brionvega in the 1960s and 70s, but also chairs, lighting and more for B&B Italia, Vitra, Artemide and Cassina, with whom he has enjoyed a long and fruitful collaboration. If that wasn't enough, Bellini spent several years as editor of Italy's most influential architecture magazine, Domus, illustrating a career spent at the apex of modern aesthetics.

Olivetti A4 electronic accounting machine, 1975 — Bellini first came to prominence as an outstanding designer of machines, translating the function of technology into form that was both aesthetically harmonious and easy to understand. Pictured: 'Olivetti A4' electronic accounting machine, 1975

The 'Olivetti Divisumma 18', an electronic calculator from 1973. Pictured right are working models, the organic shapes recalling a human hand

eller Ultra' Bellini chair, 1970, Cleto' Munari gold jewellery, 1986 — Pictured left: 'Heller Ultra' Bellini chair, 1970; pictured right: 'Cleto' Munari gold jewellery, 1986

Bellini was involved in planning a magazine on behalf of the publisher Electra. Pictured here is Album issue 1; 'Album proposes to be a magazine with a clear mission: a new magazine about design... a magazine about artificial nature from an anthropological point of view – that is to say, anthropocentric,' he explains

Kar A Sutra — Bellini's experimentations with the automobile were prescient. Pictured here: the Kar-a-sutra, 1972.

Meritalia 'Via Lattea' sofa range, 1970.

Opera table 2014 — Meritalia 'Opera' table 2014

Minerva Ga — 'Minerva GA 45 Pop' portable record player from 1968. Bellini was inspired by the elegance of a handbag when making this compact model

Cassina 'Teneride' prototype office chair, 1970, Minerva GA 45 Pop' portable record player,1968 — Pictured left: Cassina 'Teneride' prototype office chair, 1970, Pictured right: 'Minerva GA 45 Pop' portable record player, 1968.

Mario Bellini, Artemide Area lighting range, 1974 — Pictured left: Mario Bellini, Pictured right: Artemide 'Area' lighting range, 1974

INFORMATION

Mario Bellini: Furniture, Machines & Objects by Enrico Morteo, £60, published by Phaidon

TOPICS

Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.