Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce ‘President’ Table Lamp

Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce, ‘President’ table lamp, model ‘14099’, nickel-plated steel, plexiglass, Italy, circa 1970

The President table lamp is designed by Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce in Italy around 1970. Lelii's designs were widely acclaimed and have been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world. He is considered to be an important figure in the history of Italian design and is remembered for his contributions to the field of lighting design. Arredoluce was a pioneering company in the world of Italian lighting design during the 1950s and 1960s. Founded by Angelo Lelii, Arredoluce was based in Monza and known for its skilled craftspeople who could bring the most cutting-edge lighting designs to life, of which this table lamp is a good example. The design stands out with its geometric formalism and specific choice of materials, comprised of an angular framework in nickel-plated steel inserted with plexiglass rods in a consistent way. The latter mentioned material has a very specific way of transmitting the light, which appears to be passing through the sheet slower than through glass. Not to forget, the simple formability is a great benefit that allows the designer to create various constellations. The lamp’s innovative use of materials is matched by its striking sculptural presence.
Paolo Angelo Lelii (1911-1979) was born in Ancona, Italy. After his studies at the Superior Institute of Industrial Art, Milan, he lived and worked in Monza. From 1943, Lelii started manufacturing lamps in his own house and in 1946 he advertised his well-known 'Tris' lamp in Domus magazine. It was in 1947 that he founded Arredoluce in Monza, a premier manufacturer of furniture and lighting. In the same year, he exhibited the lamp 12128 at the VII Triennale di Milano, which became known as the Triennale floor lamp. He became an influential designer in Postwar Italy, especially in the field of modern lighting design. During the 1950s, Arredoluce started to collaborate with designers such as Franco Albini, Achille Castiglioni, Gio Ponti, and Ettore Sottsass and began to experiment with halogen light bulbs for his designs, which lead to the recognizable Arredoluce switch. Thanks to Angelo Lelii’s unique approach to design, Arredoluce quickly built a reputation for creating premium quality products based on clean, simple, and functional designs.

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