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 Born 1958 in Cardiff, Wales, Ross Lovegrove is one of the world's leading 'organic' designers. His work is typified by its purity of form, which is driven by an insight into the relationships between man, nature and technology. Fluid and uninterrupted, his designs are unrestrained in their three dimensionality, and lead the mind into a place that resonates with emotional responses. After graduating from Manchester Polytechnic in 1980 with a First Class degree in Industrial Design, Lovegrove took a Masters in Design at London's Royal College of Art. In the early 80's he worked as a designer for Frog Design in West Germany on projects such as Walkmans for Sony and Computers for Apple. After moving to Paris as a consultant to Knoll International, Lovegrove became author of the highly successful Alessandri Office System. He was then invited to join the Atelier de Nimes along with Jean Nouvel and Phillipe Stark, consulting to Cacharel, Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Dupont amongst others. Returning to London in 1986, Lovegrove completed projects for clients including Airbus Industries, Kartell, Ceccotti, Cappellini, Idee, Moroso, Luceplan, Driade, Peugeot, Apple Computers, Issey Miyake, Vitra, Olympus Cameras, Yamagiwa Corporation, Tag Heuer, Hackman, Alias, Herman Miller, Japan Airlines and Toyo Ito Architects in Japan. He is the winner of numerous international awards, and his work has been extensively published and exhibited internationally including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Guggenheim Museum NY, Axis Centre Japan, Pompidou Centre, Paris and the Design Museum, London, where in 1993 he curated the first Permanent Collection.
The latest in a long line of VitrA collaborators in the field of design, Ross Lovegrove is one of the most interesting and intelligent designers of the 21st century. His work explores the creation of sculptural and organic shapes using sophisticated technology and materials. The concept of 'organic essentialism', which underlines all Lovegrove's work, is inspired by the elements and aesthetics of the natural world, and provides the perfect language to articulate VitrA's creative vision. Lovegrove's enthusiasm for the collaboration is clear. "For me as a designer this project has created a rare and wonderful opportunity to work with an industry leader that has the industrial authority to realise the full scope of products from tiles to baths to faucets to furniture all under one organisation." When visiting Istanbul, VitrA's physical and spiritual home, Lovegrove immersed himself in Turkısh ceramic culture and drew inspiration from the diverse ethnicity, architecture and custom of the region to bring an additional perspective. He studied Ottoman geometries and calligraphy, which are graphic and yet liquid, organic and highly sensual. These two-dimensional applications were morphed to create surface patterns for printed products and for milling panels and screens, and the Istanbul collection was born."Istanbul is more than a city; it is an idea thousands of years in the making", points out Lovegrove. "Inhabiting two continents, it is a living museum of cultures, architecture and design. Home to the Byzantine Empire and then seat of the Ottoman sultans, on the cusp of east and west, Istanbul is so redolent with history that it has inspired a unique marriage between culture, tradition, sensuality, technology, design and interior architecture. Modern Turkey is a celebration of culture and a blend of traditions that form a rich mosiac of inspiration. Istanbul is in every way the genesis for this project."
http://www.rosslovegrove.com/
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