FRANCO CAMPO & CARLO GRAFFI
Set of four armchairs
Manufactured by Home
Italy, 1960
Iron structure, upholstery
Measurements
70 cm x 50 cm x 80h cm
19,68 in x 27,55 in x 31,49h in
Provenance
Private collection, Torino
Biography
Franco Campo and Carlo Graffi met as college students at the Politecnico di Torino. Both men studied engineering and architecture under Carlo Mollino, and after their graduation in 1950, they continued to collaborate with their professor on architecture and design. In Campo and Graffi’s earlier works, the influence of Mollino is evident with their use of supine curves and organic materials. During the 1950s, Graffi and Campo design customized interiors and furniture working with decorators, shops, and private clients. Later, their work is inspired by the city of Turin, and their furniture became more rigid and sculptural, emphasizing the joints and the construction of the forms. In 1956, Campo and Graffi opened their groundbreaking furniture atelier Home. In an effort to make good design available for all, they crafted furniture in teak as well as imported designs from Scandinavia. Home was a successful ventu- re, with locations in both Genoa and Rome. Tragically, a fire destroyed the factory in 1964, ending both Home and the collaboration between Campo and Graffi. After they split, Graffi continued to work with Carlo Mollino and Campo continued to design furniture and interiors. Although their collaborative period was brief, Campo and Graffi’s democratic designs were influential in the field.