Willy Rizzo

WILLY RIZZO, (Naples, 1928-Paris ,2013).
Table lamp; Italy, ca. 1970. Designed for Luminica.
Base in brass and lacquered in black, and shade in nude-toned fabric. Holds three bulbs.
Electrified. In working order. In good state of conservation.
Measurements: 70 x 15 x 15 cm (base), 85 x 76 x 75 cm (complete lamp with shade).
Designer and photographer, Willy Rizzo began his career in Paris, carving since then a solid career in the world of photography. His activity as a designer began in 1966, when he moved with his wife to a small apartment in the center of Rome, which he renovated himself, also designing the furniture. Although his intention was never to become a designer, his friends soon began to commission him after seeing his house. In fact, he has counted among his clients such prominent figures as Salvador Dali and Brigitte Bardot. Rizzo always admired beautiful things, both modern and antique, so he focused his aesthetic experimentation on creating modern furniture that fit perfectly with the old. His style marked an era within Italian design, being recognized as the designer of the Dolce Vita. The demand for his pieces reached such magnitude that in 1968 he decided to create his own company, with which he has since created numerous pieces, always handmade, combining noble materials such as travertine or bronze with other distinctly modern ones such as steel. He eventually opened stores in Paris and other European cities, as well as in New York, Miami and Los Angeles. In 1978 Rizzo sold his company and refocused his career on photography, tired of the business life. During the ten years that he designed furniture, Rizzo, a great admirer of Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier and Ruhlmann, developed a style that is easily recognizable even today. His are pieces of clean lines and geometric shapes, made of carefully selected materials. He always remained faithful to the traditional and artisanal use of materials, rejecting the mass production system and the use of plastic. Some of his designs have been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and more recently at the Madison Mallet Gallery in London.