Archibald Limited Anniversary Edition by Poltrona Frau
What’s the best way to celebrate one of the best loved chairs of a brand that has become an Italian legend in 110 years of business? A multicoloured digital transformation works perfectly.
Poltrona Frau has engaged artist Felipe Pantone, whose work involves research into light, colours, and the optical impact that these features have on our lives.
Felipe Pantone is a Hispanic Argentinean artist of international acclaim who began creating graffiti art at the age of 12.
A travelling artist with an active studio in Valencia, his work involves blending themes like dynamism, transformation, and the digital revolution with themes highlighted in current events to create objects in a whirlwind of new and unique colour.
Pantone’s art is partially inspired by kinetic artists like Victor Vasarely and Carlos Cruz-Diez, who have both often used the particular moiré effect (lines in contrasting colours that convey a sense of movement and vibration to surfaces).
To obtain such a particular effect on the Archibald Limited Edition by Poltrona Frau, the artist used a software for development and modelling.
This tool allowed him to create a 3D version of the project and then apply his frescoes, murals, paintings and sculptures at a later time.
Today, Felipe Pantone enjoys an important international reputation in the field of Street Art, and at the young age of 30, he has already participated in famous exhibitions at prestigious museums like "Art From the Streets" in Singapore and "Beyond the Streets" in Los Angeles. Moreover, his work has also been displayed in the most important contemporary art galleries in the world.
His optical-kinetic style glorifies the modern world, machines, and speed. The new Archibald is the result of an unexpected fusion of artisan craftsmanship and the digital world.
The artist makes great use of the perfect armchair’s iconic form and minimal design to enhance his own graphic patterns, which he describes as “noisy and dynamic”. Each part of the Archibald has a new pattern of Pelle Frau®, printed with a digital vision from Felipe Pantone. The new Impact Less leather upholstery is made with a chromium-free process that requires less water and ensures the highest CO2 compensation. Poltrona Frau plans to change all of the leathers in its catalogue progressively to Impact Less products like the ones used to make this prestigious limited edition.
One of the peculiarities of this armchair is its splendid multicoloured base, which was inspired by criteria from the fashion industry and the opalescent work by Jeff Koons, Bird. This base is an integral part of the new Archibald and it creates a precious and magical effect. There are just a few pieces available, only 110 to be exact, each with its own numbered plaque.
Along with the Archibald Limited Anniversary Edition, buyers will receive a cleaning kit with personalised packaging and a precious clutch bag containing the chair’s Certificate of Authenticity bearing the actual signature of the artist.
A dainty miniature Archibald Limited Edition (110 units) and a Felipe Pantone Limited Edition Keychain have also been created. Archibald by Poltrona Frau is a unique product that mixes design and art, and for this reason it will be placed in selected locations such as museums, art galleries, and exclusive online platforms for luxury furnishings. You can admire this original creation in the shop windows of Harrods of London.