The UP Series (also known as UP chair) by the famous architect and designer Gaetano Pesce is radical seating collection designed and produced by him, starting in 1969, by the Italian furniture company C&B (Cassina & Busnelli, later renamed to B&B Italia ). There are 7 sessions in the series and they are called UP1, UP2, UP3…and so on until you get to UP7.
From 1969 to today, the UP series has never stopped being talked about, so much so that it was revived by B&B Italia again in 2000 and every anniversary (for example, the first 40 years of the series, celebrated in 2009) becomes an opportunity to organize exhibitions and propose special versions of the original seats.
But not everyone knows the story behind these original sessions and we are here today to tell you about it!
It seems that the choice of the material they are made of ( expanded polyurethane ) is the result of a "brilliant idea" had during a shower... polyurethane, in fact, has the same characteristics as a sponge : it expands and contracts.
And in the same way, these seats acquire a real shape only when, unwrapped from the packaging and no longer compressed, air begins to penetrate inside the cells of the polyurethane, which increases the volume determining the definitive shape of the seat. .
There UP5 armchair (often accompanied by the UP6, a footrest connected to the armchair by a wire) in particular has been recognized since the beginning as symbol of Italian design and perfect expression of 60s/70s furnishings.
The UP5 is nicknamed for its sinuous and enveloping shapes "Big Mama" or "Donna" as it recalls the female body: two large breasts characterize the upper part of the backrest, while the lower part recalls the thighs, so that when you sit you feel enveloped and protected , like a child in its mother's arms.
The idea conveyed is that of birth and fertility and exudes a sense of protection similar to that of a mother.
A real one tribute to the woman, In short:
"Women have always been boxed in by their fear of men and male prejudice. I liked the idea of giving the armchair a feminine shape"
But also a criticism of the female condition in some areas of the world, and of all the difficulties that women have to face every day: the UP6, the footrest combined (and tied) to the chair , resembles a heavy ball and recalls the fatigue and burden of life for women.
But who is Gaetano Pesce?
Born in Liguria in 1939, Pesce (architect, designer, and also sculptor) has lived in New York since 1983, where he founded his company Fish Design.
His works are exhibited in museums around the world, from the Triennale to the MoMa, passing through the Pompidou and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Gaetano Pesce is one of the major exponents of Italian design, among the greatest exponents of the so-called "radical" design : a design linked to utility , which must not be limited to theoretical and conceptual expressions, but must be based on practical experimentation.
For him, design is the half with which the artist expresses his thoughts and emotions.
For this reason, Pesce and all the "radical" designers of the time distanced themselves from design understood as mere planning, typical of Italian architecture of the 70s and of the rational mentality.
