B&B Italia Serie Up 2000 Lounge Chair
The configuration of this armchair has anatomical characteristics and unmistakable anthropomorphous references. The chair is a metaphor of a large comfortable womb and recalls ancient statues of fertility goddesses. However, it has something extra: a spherical ottoman tied to the armchair. Therefore, the image of comfort and convenience is combined with a more figurative image of a woman with a ball and chain on her foot. Gaetano Pesce explains the project as follows: "At that time, I was telling a personal story about my concept of women: I believe that women have always been unwilling prisoners of themselves. This is why I decided to give this armchair the shape of a woman with a ball and chain, a traditional image of a prisoner."
Over the years, the UP5_6 armchair has become an international icon with different names, from "Big Mama" to "Blow Up". It is still a very popular item.
Gaetano Pesce
1939, Italy
Born in La Spezia, Italy, in 1939, Pesce studied Architecture at the University of Venice between 1958 to 1963 and was a participant in Gruppo N, an early collective concerned with programmed art patterned after the Bauhaus.
In all his work, he expresses his guiding principle: that modernism is less a style than a method for interpreting the present and hinting at the future in which individuality is preserved and celebrated. Pesce’s work is featured in over 30 permanent collections of the most important museums in the world, such as MoMa of New York and San Francisco, Metropolitan Museum in New York, Vitra Museum in Germany, Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Pompidou Center and Musee des Arts Décoratifs of Louvre in Paris; he exhibits art in galleries world wide.
Pesce experience has been global, his innovations consistently groundbreaking. Boundaries between art, design and industry are irrelevant to him, as art is most certainly not something created and put on a pedestal: art is a product, it is our creative response to the needs of the time we live in.
Founded in 1966 by the Busnelli Family, B&B Italia has become Italy’s premiere international contemporary furniture manufacturer for both residential and contract spaces. Their sofas, lounge chairs, furniture, and complements are unmistakable in their long-lasting style, comfort, and design. Iconic pieces such as The Up Chair by Gaetano Pesce, Charles Sofa by Antonio Citterio, and Tufty Time by Patricia Urquiola have earned B&B Italia pole position on many architects’ and interior designers’ must-have lists. Their Research & Development Centre is known for pushing the boundaries of design with taste, technology, and creativity. B&B Italia also focuses on environmental sustainability regarding disposal processes, recycling, and developing innovative materials. B&B Italia was the first company to use cold polyurethane technology in molds for shaping sofas, armchairs, or dacron for upholstery. They are also members of the Altagamma foundation, the Italian luxury brands committee composed of design, fashion, food, jewelry, automobiles, and hospitality experts.
This item qualifies for free door-to-door delivery within Canada, with a few exceptions:
- Orders $180 or less are charged a $35 small order fee at checkout.
- Additional charges apply for Remote Delivery Areas including the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and other remote locations outside of major city centres.
- Small items will be delivered by FedEx or other courier service in your area.
- Large items will be delivered by freight service. This is standard curbside delivery; meaning the driver will not haul up an incline or up stairs, and it will be your responsibility to bring the item inside, complete any assembly, and remove packaging debris.
- For a White Glove Delivery quote which includes unpackaging and assembly, please make a note in the Comments section during Checkout and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
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