FontanaArte - Luminator floor lamp

Luminator is one of the first projects that Pietro Chiesa, already owner in Milan of a workshop specialized in artistic glass processing, signed for FontanaArte, of which he becomes artistic director alongside Gio Ponti. First floor lamp with indirect lighting, Luminator is composed of a thin metal shaft that opens into a cone and inside which the light source is located. The only element that rests on a circular base, is a lamp of an almost abstract rigor and purity. One of the most extraordinary pieces designed by Pietro Chiesa.

Pietro Chiesa

A descendant of an eminent Ticino-based family of artists, he opened his own glass making shop in 1921 after working as an apprentice at the Giannotti glassworks. In the early 1920s, he took part in the Venice Biennale, the Monza Biennale, the Exposition des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and exhibitions in Cologne and Barcelona. His work combines extreme modernity with outstanding technical ability.His creations include the glass windows of the Trieste Stock Exchange, the windows of the Motorship Victoria as well as those of the transatlantic liner Conte di Savoia.In 1932, Pietro Chiesa was asked by Gio Ponti to share in the artistic direction of the newborn FontanaArte, a role that would enable him to give full expression to his creative flair by designing over a thousand different objects (furniture, tables, lamps, glass windows, objets d’art etc). Some of these pieces took their place in the history of design and are still produced by FontanaArte today, such as the Fontana curved table (1932), the Cartoccio vase (1932) and the Luminator floor lamp (1933).

FontanaArte

Fontana Arte specializes in glass processing and the manufacture of furnishing accessories. Founded in 1881 in Milan by Luigi Fontana, it began as an industry producing glass sheets for building purposes. It had Giò Ponti, Pietro Chiesa and Max Ingrand as artistic directors. It gained notoriety especially for its processing of curved crystal and production of lighting applies. Lighting is also design; numerous brands make it possible to combine functionality with aesthetics, making lamps, wall sconces, and spotlights true pieces of furniture. Among them is FontanArte, which has marked the history of lighting design. In over than 80 years of activity, the brand has received numerous awards, including the Compasso d'oro Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998, given by the ADI - Association for Industrial Design: "thanks to the collaboration with different designers, has been able to create a lively creative climate that has upgraded one of the historical names of Italian design."