The tenth title in the “Mestieri d’Arte” series was written by Andrea Branzi, one of the most illustrious names in the history of international design: an expert who can talk about this subject from the inside.
What is the profession, the craft of the designer today? In order to answer such a relevant and complex question, the book examines the history of three generations of designers, from the so-called Masters of Italian design to the New Design trend.
In the chapters dedicated to “The era of the Masters”, the author follows in the footsteps of Giorgio Vasari, who wrote "The Lives of the Most Eminent Painters, Sculptors and Architects" in the Renaissance. Thus Branzi traces the biographies of the protagonists, and in the ensuing chapters, the biographies are intertwined with Branzi’s autobiography, and his own personal experiences with many trends, such as the radical movement and Alchymia & Memphis, of which Andrea Branzi was one of the leading members.
The "dynamic system" of Italian design is analysed in its many-sided aspects, with reflections on the role of a new teaching methodology and on design as a profession for the masses.
In the introduction, Franco Cologni writes: "Andrea Branzi's narration allows us to follow and understand, with a growing sense of fascination, the dialogue that the designer has established with himself, with his colleagues, industrial or artisan counterparts, with the evolution of society and taste, and the changes in our educational, distributive and creative systems. Through his personal participation, the author reveals the significant cultural legacy of the great Masters of Design, who have left a deep sign in the history of international aesthetics..."
