Joe Colombo

Joe Colombo’s Mytho Interview

- "Draw me a sheep"
- "No! Design me a myth!"

With the vague air of a Roman consul, emphasized by a neatly trimmed beard and a haughty bearing, the most futuristic and functional of transalpine designers has nothing but praise when one brings up his gallery owner since 1972, Simon Lecoy.

Especially since it is to the latter that the master of molded plastics owes his salvation, after grappling with the oil crisis and the skyrocketing price of pipe tobacco. A casual chat under the gilded lights of The Woods gallery. Singing accent strictly required.

Joe Colombo
"Amor di Dio, it's to that devilish Simon that I owe my resurrection!"

ROMY TAUX: Simon here, Simon there... listening to you, Simon Lecoy acts as a true tutelary figure. Why such enthusiasm for him?

JOE COLOMBO: (Stuffing his pipe with enthusiasm) Ma... but Simon represents for me the dolce vita, the Vesuvius, the dolce & gabbana of initiative, the Gucci of ambition and love for beautiful objects... The beautiful guy really gave me back faith in my mastery.

R.T: What is the origin of this unconditional love?

J.C: I would like to say first of all that Simon is the only one who really trusted me, at a time when I was ready to kick the bucket. Simon always believed I was unique, different from the others.

R.T: Why were you depressed at the time?

J.C: But the oil crisis of 1972 almost killed me, me who used plastica (Editor's note: plastic) as my main material. And then pipe tobacco went up a lot that year, I was very afraid of not being able to make ends meet anymore...

R.T: That's when Simon took you in, as you were drunk, staggering under a Roman bridge, ready to drown in the Tiber...

J.C: (Tossing his head back on the high cushion of his Elda armchair)
Si, si... I was done for, I was desperate. But Simon recognized me and immediately offered to put my creations on consignment in his gallery. Il figlio di Dio, but... it was him!

R.T: A few words on your collaboration since that famous "annus horribilis"?

J.C: Ma... Simon gives me carta bianca for everything. I know he sells my Elda armchair (Editor's note: Joe Colombo hesitated for a time to rename his iconic armchair, "Lauren," to thank his benefactor) and lamps that established my fame: KD27, KD29...

R.T: Your future joint projects?

J.C: To invent a rotomolded plastic pipe, because I am the greatest fan of pipes before the eternal!

Text: Benjamin PIETRI