Atrributed to WILLY RIZZO, 1920-2013 A COCKTAIL TABLES, c.1970, aluminium and smoked glass, the top sliding open to reveal a fitted interior, 120cms wide x 69cms wide x 38cms high (closed) Willy Rizzo started his career in Paris as a photographer. ...
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Lot 218
Estimate: €600 - €1,000
Result: €850
Lot 218
Estimate:
€600 - €1,000
Atrributed to WILLY RIZZO, 1920-2013 A COCKTAIL TABLES, c.1970, aluminium and smoked glass, the top sliding open to reveal a fitted interior, 120cms wide x 69cms wide x 38cms high (closed) Willy Rizzo started his career in Paris as a photographer. His original venture into furniture design began in Rome and took place during a visit to a Roman hair salon on Piazza di Spagna in 1966. He ended up signing a six month lease on an abandoned commercial apartment, barely habitable and without running water. Rizzo quickly set about turning the empty office into a living space, complete with brown and gold walls and custom-designed sofas, coffee tables, consoles and hi-fi storage units. Using a small group of local artisans he completed the customised apartment, which acted as a template of sorts for the majority of his commissions to come. Rizzo's friends, clients and contacts, many forming the upper crust of the fashion and film industries fell in love his ultra-modern style which incorporated the sophistication of Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, combining clean, simple lines with bold geometric forms and a delicate handling of materials. Salvador Dali commissioned a number of pieces as did Brigitte Bardot for the interior of La Madrague in St. Tropez. A playboy of the era, Rizzo's client list is testament to how close his furniture was to the mark. He established a base at Tivoli, just outside Rome and went on to open boutiques across France and Europe. He also had points of sale in New York, Miami and LA.
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