Perry King (b.1938) is a British industrial, graphic and product designer born in London and active in Milan.
Education
He attended Birmingham College of Art.
Biography
He worked at Olivetti, where he designed office machinery, starting in 1956. He collaborated with Hans Von Klier on C. Castelli’s corporate design program. He was designing dictating machines for Süd-Atlas Werke in Monaco and electronic apparatus and control systems for Praxis in Milan.
He produced furniture as well as the Planula, Agliana catalogue (Italy). He created the Valentine typewriter in 1969. (with Ettore Sottsass).
From 1972, he was the design coordinator for the corporate identity programme of Olivetti. For Olivetti, he also created a typeface. King-Miranda Associati began working on the project Limited Horizons in Milan in 1975, collaborating with Santiago Miranda on environmental design, industrial design, furniture, interior design, and graphics.
For Olivetti, King and Miranda, he produced posters and catalogues and brand identity initiatives for other companies. He designed lighting for Arteluce (including the Donald table lamp from the early 1970s), Flos (many examples with Giancarlo Arnaldi), Marcatré’s Cable office system and Air Mail chair, and Black and Decker’s power tools.
Arteluce’s Aurora glass pendant lamp from 1985 foreshadowed future designs. For Tisettanta he created their Bloom bookshelf device in 1988, and for Veart created their Bergamo Murano glass bowl in 1987.
They planned the Lucerno lighting set for the 1992 Seville ‘Expo ’92’ public areas. King was a member of ADI (Associazione per il Disegno Industriale) and SIAD (Society for Industrial Design) (Society of Industrial Artists and Designers).
Exhibitions
His work was on display at the Frederick S. Wright Art Gallery, University of California, Los Angeles, in the 1979 ‘Design Process Olivetti 1908 – 1978’ exhibition.
Perry King (& Santiago Miranda) in our partner stores
Sources
Blue “Aurora” Pendant by Perry King and Santiago Miranda for Arteluce. For Sale at 1stDibs. (n.d.). https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/lighting/chandeliers-pendant-lights/blue-aurora-pendant-perry-king-santiago-miranda-arteluce/id-f_3976873/.
Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.
Valentine Portable Typewriter · SFMOMA. SFMOMA. (2021, April 11). https://www.sfmoma.org/artwork/2004.185.A-B/.
You may also be interested in
Christian Barman (1898-1980) British industrial designer – Encyclopedia of Design
Christian Barman (1898-1980) was a key first-generation British industrial designer during the interwar years. He is best known for his 1936 electric iron for HMV, which he started designing in 1933. He studied architecture at Liverpool University and ran his practice until Frank Pick invited him to join London Transport as a Publicity Officer in 1935.
Robert Yorke Goodden (1909-2002) British architect and designer – Encyclopedia of Design
British architect and designer Robert Yorke Goodden (1909-2002). He studied architecture at the Architectural Association in London from 1926 to 1931. He was in private practice since 1932. Wallpapers, domestic machine-pressed glassware for Chance Bros., 1953 coronation hangings for Westminster Abbey, gold and silverwares, ceremonial metalwork, glassware for King’s College, Cambridge, 1961 metal-foil murals for the oceanliner Canberra, engraved and sandblasted glass murals for Pilkington.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.