45 - RON ARAD (Tel Aviv, 1951). For Moroso.

RON ARAD (Tel Aviv, 1951). For Moroso. “The Big E” Sofa, Italy, 1990s. Plastic. Signed on the backrest: “Big E by Ron Arad for MOROSO.” Shows some signs of wear due to its age. Measurements: 92 x 130 x 70 cm; 40 cm (seat height). “The Big E,” by Ron Arad for Moroso, is part of an exploration of the boundaries between sculpture and furniture, and of how a form initially conceived as a sculptural piece could be transformed into an industrially produced seat. Ron Arad conceived “The Big Easy” in 1988, initially as a sculptural armchair made of welded steel. Around 1990, Arad developed a softer, more comfortable version for the Italian firm Moroso, known as “Soft Big Easy,” made of polyurethane foam over an internal frame. Later, in 2003, “The Big E” was introduced—a reinterpretation in rotomolded polyethylene that recreated the bold form of the original design through an industrial manufacturing process. Ron Arad’s Big Easy design is part of the collections of institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the New Orleans Museum of Art. Industrial designer Ron Arad trained in Jerusalem and London, and throughout his career he has collaborated with prestigious companies such as Kartell, Flos, Artemide, Vitra, and Alessi. He has also exhibited his work around the world, and in fact, many of his designs are currently part of major collections, including those of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and the Vitra Design Museum in Germany.