As it was our first event of Milan Design Week 2013, we’re honouring Artemide with the first post from Milan Design Week 2013.

And in specific Empatia by Carlotta de Bevilacqua and Paola di Arianello, for us the stand out object in the Artemide 2013 collection.

It will sound like damning Carlotta and Paola with faint praise when we say that the overwhelming majority of the new Artemide products are architectural lighting – all technically very interesting, just architectural lighting – and that amongst the few new domestic lights Ross Lovegrove was presenting what could best be described as sculptures that illuminate and Ernesto Gismondi was presenting Ilio, an object which to be honest we simply didn’t get.

That however would be to underestimate Empatia.

On the one hand there is the mouth blown Venetian glass outer bowl.

Then here is the technological innovation, The secret to Empatia is a synthetic rod in the middle of the glass bowl.The light is generated by LEDs in the base of the lamp, flows through the rod, is reflected by the opaque top, and ultimately emits a pleasant, even, 360 degree illumination.

We’re fairly certain someone will compare the rod to a candle. It’s the lazy, obvious comparison

Yes, as a glass bowl shaped lamp that comes in table, wall, hanging and floor versions Empatia is very similar to one or the other existing Artemide product.

However, on the one hand it does have an alluring, endearing and new form language combined with an energy saving innovative technological solution, and on the other, why shouldn’t Artemide continuing doing what they do? They do it so effortlessly well.

And as the (smow)boss repeatedly tells us: If you do what you do well you wont need to worry about your financial future.

Quite why he always emphasises the “well” and “wont” remains for us a mystery. But we digress.

At the moment there is no release date for Empatia by Carlotta de Bevilacqua and Paola di Arianello, and so until all is confirmed, a couple of impressions from Milan Design Week.

Milan Design Week 2013: Empatia by Carlotta de Bevilacqua and Paola di Arianello for Artemide

Milan Design Week 2013: Empatia by Carlotta de Bevilacqua and Paola di Arianello for Artemide

As any one who has celebrated as many birthday’s as us knows – there comes a point in every life where you’re just not prepared to compromise on quality any more.

Be it your car, your choice of airline, your hair cut.

Or your office chair.

When starting out in life the vast majority of us put up with cheap, uncomfortable office chairs because its easier.

We know the quality isn’t brilliant. But we’re compromising

The same can be said for desks, desk lamps and filing cabinets.

Those days could soon have an end. (smow) are now offering a complete workspace at an exclusive package price.

The (smow) designer office furniture package – or the “Compromise Was Yesterday Kit” as we’re unofficially calling it in the blog team den – comprises a USM desk, USM Haller roll container, Vitra office chair and an Artemide Tolomeo Tavolo desk lamp.

The individual elements can be mixed and matched to meet your requirements; and regardless of what you choose the package price will come in at circa 8% lower than buying the items individually.

And if all items are in stock, you could be enjoying your new quality designer workspace within a matter of days.

Which is easier, more satisfying and ultimately better value for money than hiring a van and driving to an out of town warehouse…..

Full details can be found at www.smow.com/office-package.html

A possible combination of USM, Vitra and Artemide (Industrial staircase not included!)

Luddites!

Not a phrase normally associated with (smow)

To the best of our knowledge no (smow)employee has ever smashed an iPad or capped a WiFi service in protest at the creeping and increasingly obsessive proliferation of technology into our lives.

Despite that, the early summer weeks in the (smow)HQ were dominated by the preparation and production of the very first (smow)catalogue.

That’s print catalogue.

So on paper.

With ink.

Luddites?

Au contraire nos amis!

Not only is the production of such an analogue catalogue technologically more challenging than coding with that “any-fool-can-do” HTML; but, just as the mechanisation of the textile mills offered the oppressed masses their first, golden, taste of leisure time – so does a print catalogue help us to regain that.

Turn off the computer, enjoy a break, peruse a catalogue. And then turn the computer back on and order.

In addition to featuring a selection of products from the (smow) range the (smow) Designer Furniture Catalogue 2011 also includes biographical information on some of the most important designers and a range of specially commissioned photos of products from USM Haller, Vitra, Moormann, Richard Lampert et al

And is a mighty fine piece of work. Well done to all involved!

If you’d be interested in seeing the finished work, or know someone who would appreciate a copy, please contact service@smow.de (NOTE: It is only available in German)

And at facebook.com/smowcom we have posted a photo gallery documenting the production process.

(smow) Designer Furniture Catalogue 2011

Last summer we spent our annual holiday weekend in a small museum in the north of England discussing the life of a man who had hung himself 30 years previous.

And folk say we don’t know how to relax.

The town was Macclesfield and the subject was Joy Division singer Ian Curtis.

Unquestionably one of the truly iconic figures in music history, the cult around Curtis is based to a large extent on a combination of his early death and the photos of the band.

One of the speakers at the conference in Macclesfield was Kevin Cummins, the man who was responsible for almost all published Joy Division images and who photographed the band on numerous occasions for the music paper NME.

During the discussion he “admitted” that the fact that only black and white photos of the band exist is the result of a “brand marketing” decision made by the record label. A decision which was fully supported by the NME.

Similarly it was also decided that Curtis should look serious and glum in all photos. There are photos in Cummins’ archive that show Curtis smiling and messing about.

But they were never used. Didn’t fit in with the required image.

And so through the contrivance of record company and media Ian Curtis will for ever remain a miserable, monotone figure.

A legend created by photos.

Marirosa Ballo examines the exhibition "Zoom Italian Design and the Photography of Aldo and Marirosa Ballo" at the Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein

“Zoom. Italian Design and the Photography of Aldo and Marirosa Ballo” examines a similar subject.

Aldo and Marirosa Ballo are perhaps the most important and influential furniture photographers of all time and played a major role in establishing the modern legend of Italian design.

However whereas Kevin Cummins was complicit in creating the Ian Curtis legend; Aldo and Marirosa Ballo’s role was more unintentional.

For Aldo and Marirosa Ballo the object itself was always the most important and the principle aim of their work was concerned with creating the most natural and expressive photos of the pieces possible.

To this end they developed many technical and process innovations that are today standard in industrial and product photography.

However, despite the innovation of the Ballo’s work, for most of us what remains is simply an incomparable and unrepeatable series of photos that helped establish Italy as one of the most important post-war furniture design nations.

Aldo and Marirosa Ballo’s photos graced the title and inner pages glossy design magazines, their portraits of Italian designers were seen by a global audience and against a background of increasing financial stability and economic growth their images spoke to a new European generation looking to move on from the styles and furnishings of their parents.

Through the work of Aldo and Marirosa Ballo Italian design became a by-word for quality. And something highly desirable.

As we say that wasn’t their aim, but that’s how it evolved.

Curator Mathias Schwartz-Clauss guides visitors through the exhibition

Starting in the 1950s “Zoom. Italian Design and the Photography of Aldo and Marirosa Ballo” takes the visitor not only on a journey through four decades of Italian design but also on a journey through the development of professional designer furniture marketing and the establishment of the “star designer”

The exhibition is laid out such that one has the object, the photos and the magazines/advertising material all in close proximity and so the visitor has the complete overview of the process and the context.

The effect is such that one can see that despite the fact that the photos created the legend, the articles themselves are more than worthy of the status they achieved.

It’s also a wonderful collection of over 300 fascinating photos that do the designs justice.

As a collective whose life revolves around furniture, furniture fairs, product launches and the like we are well aware how important photos are in the designer furniture world.

No one really reads texts. We know that.

But everyone looks at the photos. Which is why today’s furniture industry invests such immense sums of money every year in ensuring that the press photos for new products are perfect. That’s whats going to attract the public interest.

The techniques and philosophy they use to achieve this are largely the same and/or permutations of those developed by Aldo and Marirosa Ballo.

And that makes their work just as relevant today as it was then.

And the exhibition well worth a visit.

“Zoom. Italian Design and the Photography of Aldo and Marirosa Ballo” runs until October 3rd at the Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein.

More information can be found at: www.design-museum.de

Furniture photography. Point. Shoot. Fame and riches. If only!

Selene by Vico Magistretti for Artemide part of "Zoom. Italian Design and the Photography of Aldo and Marirosa Ballo"