Mattia Bonetti @ Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York

Paul Kasmin Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of new works by the Swiss-born, Paris-based artist Mattia Bonetti. Held at the gallery's 293 Tenth Avenue space, the exhibition will be his largest to-date in the United States and his first with Paul Kasmin.

Since the beginning of his pioneering career in the early 1970s, Bonetti has approached the distinction between contemporary art and design not as a barrier but as a wellspring of creative dialogue. As Carol Vogel writes, "Bonetti's work captures a particularly imaginative moment at the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st Centuries when historical forms are freshly translated and familiar materials are pushed to new limits. Every design, whether it be a sofa or a simple box, combines a sense of whimsy and glamour with a distinctive intelligence and originality."

This exhibition showcases the balance of exuberance and rigor that has become the definitive signature of Bonetti's transformative hand. In it, a gracefully draped pearl necklace becomes a table, a broken vase is reborn as a lamp, and a house of cards is reconfigured into a gleaming chest of drawers. Bonetti juxtaposes traditional bronze, gold leaf, wrought iron, and blown glass techniques with resin, acrylic, and mirrored stainless steel technologies to form expertly crafted objects that are a pleasure to use and behold.

Mattia Bonetti was born in Lugano, Switzerland in 1952. A comprehensive monograph of his work will be published on the occasion of the exhibition by Skira/Rizzoli, featuring photography and text by Reed Krakoff with essays by Adrian Dannatt, Jacques Grange, Marie-Laure Jousset and Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis. His work is included in numerous public collections, including the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. www.paulkasmingallery.com

Mattia Bonetti, "George" side table/lamp, 2009, patinated bronze and blown glass, 58 3/4 x 24 1/2 x 13 7/8 inches, 149.1 x 62.4 x 35.2 cm. Edition of 8. PKE 12692 © Paul Kasmin Gallery

Mattia Bonetti, "Quasimodo" cabinet, 2009, patinated resin, tinted wood, patinated wrought-iron, 80.5 x 35 x 28 inches, 204.5 x 88.9 x 71.1 cm. Edition of 8. PKE 12693 © Paul Kasmin Gallery

Mattia Bonetti, "Cards" commode, 2009, polished stainless steel, colored acrylic, wood, 47 7/8 x 66 1/4 x 30 3/4 inches, 121.6 x 168.3 x 78.1 cm. Edition of 8. PKE 12882 © Paul Kasmin Gallery

Mattia Bonetti, "Meander" coffee table, 2009, patinated bronze and clear acrylic top, 23 x 57 x 57 inches, 58.4 x 144.8 x 144.8 cm. Edition of 20. PKE 12883 © Paul Kasmin Gallery

Mattia Bonetti, "Frequency" cabinet, 2009, clear acrylic and gold-plated brass, 79 x 35.5 x 21 inches, 200.7 x 90.2 x 53.3 cm. Edition of 8 © Paul Kasmin Gallery

Mattia Bonetti, "Bazaar" mirror, 2009, gold-plated and black patina bronze with gold and nickel-plated brass and mirror. 70 7/8 x 47 1/4 inches, 180 x 120 cm. Edition of 16. PKE 13779 © Paul Kasmin Gallery

Mattia Bonetti, "Garden" lamp, 2010. bronze lamp, 15.75 x 3.94 x 3.94 inches, 40 x 10 x 10 cm. Edition of 16. PKE 13518 © Paul Kasmin Gallery

Mattia Bonetti, "Debris" Lamp, 2010, bronze lamp, 15.75 x 3.94 x 3.94 inches, 40 x 10 x 10 cm. Edition of 16. PKE 13943 © Paul Kasmin Gallery

Mattia Bonetti, "Baron" armchair, 2009, patinated bronze, wood, hide, 33 1/8 x 19 3/4 x 27 1/8 inches, 84.1 x 50.2 x 68.9 cm. Edition of 40. PKE 13153 © Paul Kasmin Gallery

Mattia Bonetti, "Vortex" dining table, 2009, polished aluminum and clear acrylic, 29 3/8 x 51 1/4 x 51 1/4 inches, 74.6 x 130 x 130 cm. Edition of 12. PKE 12694 © Paul Kasmin Gallery

Mattia Bonetti, Vase Pans Coupes Epargne, 2010, silver with gold-plated silver, 9 7/8 x 6 x 6 inches, 25.1 x 15.2 x 15.2 cm. PKE 14046 © Paul Kasmin Gallery

Mattia Bonetti, Vase Eclat Epargne, 2010, silver with gold-plated silver, 13 3/4 x 14 1/2 x 10 inches, 34.9 x 36.8 x 25.4 cm. PKE 14047 © Paul Kasmin Gallery

Mattia Bonetti, Vase / Champagne Bucket Billet Epargne, 2010, silver with gold-plated silver, 8 1/4 x 8 x 8 inches, 21 x 20.3 x 20.3 cm. PKE 14048 © Paul Kasmin Gallery