Mid-Century Online Magazine

C. Jeré, Artisan House and its awesome sculptural works, have become synonymous with mid-century design and contemporary modernist settings. Similarly, it is known for large-scale, ambitious, gallery-quality works of art.

Pierre Cardin has been among the five best known Frenchmen in the world since 1960. Born Pietro Cardin to French parents on 7 July, 1922 at San Biagio di Callalta, Venice, he is best known for his avant-garde style and Space-Age designs, preferring geometric shapes and ignoring the constraints of form and surroundings.

Imagination and necessity launched the already successful photographer, Willy Rizzo, into the world of furniture design. As a photographer of playboys and starlets, he had a ready-made customer base eager to build their living quarters around an ultra-modern Rizzo piece and items that remain as timeless as his images.

Elio Martinelli’s ingenious lights have gone on to become 20^th century design icons. As testaments to his enthused vision and refined approach, they boast timeless simplicity and a tangible appreciation for the wide range of materials he utilised. Martinelli’s vintage pieces are sought-after gems for collectors and are constantly inspirational.

Part 2 of my Homage to Pierre Cardin is based on the lamps that bear his name. I have one such lamp on my site, it's the coil or spring lamp made by the Laurel lamp company. The lamp is made from a thin sheet of brass coiled into a small spring shape with a milk glass shade that is attached to the brass (this lamp also comes in a chrome finish). The lamp does not have an etched/laser cut name like the furniture, but instead has a sticker with the Pierre Cardin signature on it.