What usually distinguishes a work of art from a design object is that the latter is based on use value while art is always an end in itself. Yet, there are declinations of design that are so experimental, innovative and daring that they call into question a kind of “upgrade”. On the other hand, Benvenuto Cellini’s salt shaker, a jewelery masterpiece (it’s a paradox), could be placed at the table during an important lunch but its intrinsic preciousness suggests particular attention, as for a painting or a sculpture.
All of the activities took place on this hybrid territory Gaetano Pesce, who passed away yesterday in New York where he had lived for some time, at the age of 84. He deserves the nickname of designer and architect because several of his creations have been mass-produced, but it is a definition that is too narrow for him, because his imaginative world flirts with that of contemporary art.
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