Different Tendencies
Paolo Lomazzi, Donato D'Urbino, Jonathan De Pas
and Carla Scolari
Blow
Scene design: Duyi Han
Blow inflatable armchair
Produced by Zanotta, Italy
1967
Radio-frequency welded transparent PVC
33 x 47.1 x 40.3 inches (inflated)
83.8 x 119.7 x 102.9 centimeters (inflated)
Price and detailed condition available upon request
Now an icon of the 1960s, the Blow armchair by Paolo Lomazzi, Donato D'Urbino, Jonathan De Pas and Carla Scolari was a shock to Italian mores. While many post-World War II families invested in sturdy, durable furniture, Blow was neither an investment (it cost $20 at the time) nor intended to last. Its design—influenced by inflatable boats—utilized a novel technique of high-frequency welding which joined the PVC panels together so that it could be reliably inflated. Remarkably, the pristine example in Different Tendencies has stood the test of time.
Images courtesy of Alessandro Carraro