Elio Martinelli (1922 – 2004) Italian Lighting Designer

Elio Martinelli (1922 – 2004) was an Italian Designer born in Lucca.

Education

He attended Liverpool School of Art and London’s Sir John Cass Technical College.

Biography

He and others founded a lighting company in 1942. In 1956, he founded the lighting firm, Martinelli Luce in Lucca, designing plastics and metal and producing perspex hanging lamps published in La Rivista dell’ Arredamento.

Plastics were used in the firm’s production from the start, though initially, only acrylics were used. Then came methacrylate, melamine, ABS, and Delrin. Its designs were inspired by the square, the sphere, and other geometric shapes.

Sample of Works

Gae Aulenti, Sergio Asti, Studio DA, Giovanni Bassi, Sergio Martinelli, and director Elio Martinelli were among the designers. The production was done in small series.

Exhibitions

His work was shown at the 1966 Genoa ‘Eurodomus I,’ 1967 Turin ‘Eurodomus II,’ 1968 (XIV) Triennale di Milano, and Domus Design in Switzerland and the Netherlands. Elio Martinelli’s 1970 Table Lamp 643 and 1967 Flessibile working lamps and Asti’s Profiteroles table lamps featured in the 1972 exhibition ‘Design a Plastické Hmoty’ at the Uméleckoprimyslové Muzeum in Prague.

Elio Martinelli in our partner stores

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.

Additional Reading

Fleisher, N. (2009). Warman’s Modernism Furniture and Acessories: Identification and Price Guide. Penguin Publishing Group. https://amzn.to/3DactaM

Habegger, J., & Osman, J. H. (1989). Sourcebook of Modern Furniture. Van Nostrand Reinhold. https://amzn.to/3rstlHJ

Solare, D. (2008). Design Decor Delights. Lulu Enterprises Incorporated. https://amzn.to/3D8XDRW