Gaetano Pesce grabs our attention like never before at New York's Allouche Gallery
![Vase](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kWb7tXMKQWYkcGSVFnvb7Q-415-80.jpg)
At the ripe old age of 75, Italian architect and designer Gaetano Pesce shows no sign whatsoever of slowing down. Now on his plate is a stunning exhibition devoted to his latest work as well as his design, drawings, signature maquettes and drawings harking back to the 1960s at the SoHo Allouche Gallery. 'Gaetano Pesce: One of a Kind Iconic Works 1967-2015' pays homage to his distinctive artistry.
'Gaetano's always been a living legend when it comes to art, architecture, design and sculpture,' says dealer Eric Allouche. 'But this new show will further cement his artistry on the global axis,' he says.
Talk about ahead of the curve oeuvre. Pesce blazed a trail in his use of foam, resin and urethane early on. What else has been the driving force for Pesce, whose work crosses the figurative and abstraction? 'I've always believed that my art must frequently address critical issues of today,' says Pesce. Take his politically charged 1968 UP 5 + 6 Chair, which resembles a huge seated female figure chained to a ball. 'I wanted to demonstrate that women are political prisoners of men,' says Pesce. While the maquette is in foam, the full scale version in wood is also on view.
For him, nothing is cookie cutter. 'Repetition to me is boring and repressive so each example is unique,' he says.
Saturated color is another hallmark of Pesce and a sense of playfulness can be the norm. His 2006 Fish Table evidences that to perfection with the top in the shape of fish drenched in brilliant blue. Then his Fuoco Vase in searing orange and yellow resin approximates a candle dripping wax. 'Color is essential as it's so expressive of emotion,' says Pesce.
Even his lighting is revolutionary. Take his 2013 Kid Lamp with the shade alike a tangle of hair in resin.
Aside from his work in the hallowed halls of such noted museums as the Louvre, London's V & A Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, A-list collectors who have plucked up his work include mega dealers Jeffrey Deitch and Adam Lindemann as well as fashion designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabanna.
With the gallery opening set for this evening, Allouche expects a huge crowd. 'The exhibit will rein in entire new batches of collectors far beyond those who covet design,' he says.
Many of Pesce's have a distinctly poiltics flavour, such as 1968 UP 5 + 6 Chair, which resembles a huge seated female figure chained to a ball, pictured here as a maquette.
Saturated color is a hallmark of Gaetano Pesce's novel approach to design. His tonality runs from sea blues and emerald greens to flaming reds, as in his fiery Fuoco Vase. Courtesy of Gaetano Pesce's Office;
Also on show at the Allouche Gallery is the UP 5 + 6 full-scale chair in wood.
Zoomorphic shapes like his Fish Table, which stretches thirteen feet across, are also part of his quixotic vocabulary.
The 2013 Kid Lamp, with its hair-like tangle of resin as a shade. Courtesy of Gaetano Pesce's Office;
Dealer Eric Allouche has paired Pesce's design with his works on paper like the 1977 'Church of Solitude' with its cloud-like forms, one of which is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
ADDRESS
115 Spring Street
New York, NY 10012
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
-
Commune’s sustainable personal care products look ‘quite unlike anything else’
Commune’s Somerset-made products stand out in the sustainable skincare crowd. Madeleine Rothery speaks with the brand’s co-founders Kate Neal and Rémi Paringaux
By Madeleine Rothery Published
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
Alexander May, founder of LA studio Sized, on the joys of creative polymathy
Creative director Alexander May tells us of the multidisciplinary approach that drives his LA studio Sized and its offspring, a 5,000 sq ft event space and an exhibition series
By Hannah Silver Published
-
50 of America’s top creatives, photographed by Inez & Vinoodh
Photographed exclusively for Wallpaper* by Inez & Vinoodh, we present a portfolio of 50 creatives driving the current discourse on American culture and its dynamic evolution
By Dan Howarth Published
-
Nona Faustine confronts the past in New York
Artist Nona Faustine reframes New York's colonial past in an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum
By Hannah Silver Published
-
How the west won: Ivan McClellan is amplifying the intrepid beauty of Black cowboy culture
In his new book, 'Eight Seconds: Black Cowboy Culture', Ivan McClellan draws us into the world of Black rodeo. Wallpaper* meets the photographer ahead of his Juneteenth Rodeo
By Tracy Kawalik Published
-
Casa Bosques’ queer-themed book curation comes to New York’s East Village
In Pride Month 2024, Casa Bosques’ pop-up bookstore in The Standard hotel, East Village, offers a stylish haven for literary mavens
By Hannah Silver Published
-
‘Very few museums were interested in my work until recently’: Amalia Mesa-Bains on her first-ever retrospective
‘Amalia Mesa-Bains: Archaeology of Memory’ is a long-overdue exhibition at El Museo del Barrio in New York celebrating five decades of the trailblazing Chicanx artist
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Frieze New York 2024: what to see in and around the city
Frieze New York 2024 (until Sunday 5 May) sees the city’s ample spring season programming celebrated at The Shed
By Osman Can Yerebakan Published
-
Calling NYC grads! Sarabande Foundation invites you to an industry masterclass to pave way into the creative world
‘What Now?’ by Sarabande Foundation is a post-college guide to support graduates in making their next steps, with advice from the likes of Burberry, Thom Browne, and more
By Tianna Williams Published