139: FULVIO BIANCONI, Important Con Macchie vase, model 4324 < Important Italian Glass: A Private Chicago Collection, 23 May 2018 < Auctions

Important Italian Glass: A Private Chicago Collection 23 May 2018

Baldwin Kingrey Con Macchie Vase

This Fulvio Bianconi Con Macchie vase has an interesting and very specific provenance — it belonged to Kitty Baldwin Weese, a founding partner of Baldwin Kingrey, the groundbreaking shop and gallery for modern art and design which opened in Chicago in 1947. The following is reprinted from author John Brunetti’s book, Baldwin Kingrey, Midcentury Modern in Chicago, 1947 – 1957, and describes the genesis of Baldwin Kingrey, the shop’s relationship to Venini glass, and includes a poignant description of the work of designer Fulvio Bianconi:

Today it is extremely unusual to discover a rare Bianconi Con Macchie vase with such a direct and illustrious provenance. Perhaps the most graphic and abstract of all Bianconi’s Macchie vases, this piece is truly a masterwork of 20th century art and design.

During the summer of 1947 a retail furniture store called Baldwin Kingrey opened in Chicago. Its low-cost, space-saving modern furniture from Scandinavian and American designers was urgently needed by ex-GI’s and their families as they faced housing shortages. The store’s founders — architect Harry Weese, his wife Kitty Baldwin, and their partner Jody Kingrey sold out their first shipment of furniture before Baldwin Kingrey had officially opened, affirming their instincts about the value of good design at affordable prices. However, even they couldn’t foresee the art and design nexus Baldwin Kingrey would become, elevating it beyond a simple commercial enterprise. From 1947 to 1957 it was an informal gathering place and exhibition space for leading architects, designers, and artists of the time, such as Charles Eames, Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia, György Kepes, James Prestini, and Arthur Siegel. The contributions of these individuals defined good design in the second half of the 20th century.

From 1947 through the early 1950s, Baldwin Kingrey played a role in introducing the American middle class to the avant-garde glass work of (these) European companies—objects that had, up to that time, been seen primarily in magazines such as Domus and in traveling museum exhibitions and international competitions. The elegant pieces that punctuated Baldwin Kingrey’s glass shelves were often discovered through personal relationships with designers cultivated by Harry and Kitty on their regular trips to Europe in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The colorful abstract vases and glasses imported from Venini came to Baldwin Kingrey as a result of a meeting with the company’s founder, Paolo Venini:

“Harry and I went to Murano to talk to Venini. We had seen examples of his work at one to the international exhibitions. I think we were the only ones importing him at the time” — Kitty Baldwin

Venini’s introduction to Harry and Kitty could not have been more timely. The lawyer-turned entrepreneur had ambitiously expanded the market for his company’s glass outside of Europe since the 1920s. His friendship with the Weeses led to the introduction of his wares to American retail consumers and helped launch the remarkable success of Venini glass beginning in the early 1950s.

During this period Venini glass was distinguished by a bold, painterly use of color that evoked the gestures of abstract painting. Several of the more distinctive designs sold by Baldwin Kingrey were created by the Italian graphic artist and designer Fulvio Bianconi. Bianconi’s fresh approach to glass eschewed traditional delicacy for muscular, thick-walled vessels that incorporated the imperfections of improvisational processes, in much the same way abstract expressionist painters created their compositions. Bianconi’s three signature designs included the flask-shaped Spicchi, named for the triangular segments that decorate its surface; the Macchie vase, named for the dark purple stains that create a graphic silhouette against clear glass; and the rectangular Pezzato vases, decorated with squares of rich color. These Venini pieces transcend their utilitarian function to become small works of modern art for the home.

Today it is extremely unusual to discover a rare Bianconi Con Macchie vase with such a direct and illustrious provenance. Perhaps the most graphic and abstract of all Bianconi’s Macchie vases, this piece is truly a masterwork of 20th century art and design.

Fulvio Bianconi

Born in Padua in 1915, Fulvio Bianconi initially rose to prominence as an illustrator, graphic designer and caricaturist working for Italy’s top companies during the 1930s. Designing for big names like Fiat, Pathé and Pirelli, Bianconi employed his passion for drawing as the creative mind behind one of Italy’s most prestigious publishing houses, Garzanti for over 30 years. However, it is perhaps his post-war collaboration with Paolo Venini and experimentation with glass which best defines his legacy as an artist.

On a business trip to Murano in 1947, Bianconi met with Paolo Venini who immediately recognized his talent and offered him a position as artistic director, a post which had recently been vacated by the celebrated architect Carlo Scarpa. Engaged on a free-lance basis, Bianconi’s arrangement with Venini was somewhat unusual but seemed to suit his idiosyncratic personality and artistic inclinations.

From the very beginning, Bianconi’s approach at Venini was entirely that of a fine artist, drawing inspiration from modern art, fashion and graphic design. As a cartoonist and caricaturist he was also able to re-envision cultural themes from Italy’s past and express them in a fresh, contemporary way. All of this was in fact encouraged by Venini, who seemed to have an innate understanding of Bianconi’s frenetic style and unique abilities.

From 1947 to 1950, Bianconi designed numerous series of sculptural objects and vessels including the Commedia dell’Art figures, Fazoletto (handkerchief) vases, Pezzati (patchwork) and con Macchie (stained) vessels, all of which have all now become icons of post-war Italian design. Sometimes surreal, often abstract, these series captured the spirit of the times and expressed the essence of La Dolce Vita and the exuberance of post-war Italy. While Murano had been demonstrating an awareness of modern art since the early part of the century, it is only with Bianconi that it found itself on equal footing.

Bianconi designed unique, modern art objects on a human-scale and for this, Murano glass was the perfect vehicle. From this point of view, one could say that Bianconi was instrumental in the liberation of Murano glass from its own cultural and historical definitions.

Auction Results Fulvio Bianconi