Ettore Sottsass: "Metaphors"

[ED: Back in February, David John of You Have Been Here Sometime invited me to put together a short piece on the work of Ettore Sottsass, and I realize in hindsight that I never posted a link. That piece can be found here. The following images and text are also all by Ettore Sottsass, taken from the 2002 monograph "Metaphors".]

DECORATION WITH POSTCARDS; 1977 (MILAN)

▶ BJORK: SUN IN MY MOUTH

"In Veneto, if somebody asks a question and the other doesn't know how to answer, they say 'Conforme' ('It all depends').

Which means that the answer depends on a large number of complicated situations.

Decorating, too, depends on numerous different situations. There are those who decorate by putting an eagle over the entrance to their home because they want to show that they are powerful.

There are those who decorate with photoraphs of children, grandchildren, uncles and aunts, grandparents and wives because they want to remember that they have a large family.

There are those who decorate with a pot of red geraniums partly in order to feel involved in the life and death of the geraniums and partly to let people know that their life is happy.

You can also decorate with the red and white ribbon used to tie the Sacher cake packet.

And you can decorate your girl friend's skin with the stripes of summer sunlight that come through the venetian blinds."

DECORATION WITH MOQUETTE, 100% NYLON; 1977 (NEVADA)

DECORATION WITH AUSTRIAN RIBBON (RED AND WHITE); 1977 (MILAN)

DECORATION WITH SUNLIGHT; 1977 (MILAN)

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT BY ETTORE SOTTSASS, TAKEN FROM "METAPHORS", 2002, EDITED BY MILCO CARBONI AND BARBARA RADICE