The collection
Slanted cylindrical waste basket in black plastic.
1971

Waste Basket, In Attesa

Designed by
Enzo Mari (born 1932)
Material
Polypropylene
Produced by
Danese, Milan, Italy
Dimensions
41.3 x 26.4 x 29.8 cm

The Liliane and David M. Stewart Program for Modern Design Purchase, bequest of Luc d’Iberville Moreau by exchange, 2017.7

This waste basket is a surprising variation on the traditional vertical receptacle. Its name, In Attesa, is Italian for “waiting.” Though it appears at first to be a slanted cylinder, the form subtly widens toward the top. Trained as an artist from 1952 to ’56 at the Brera Academy, Mari has often spoken of his belief that “form is everything.”

He has designed numerous industrial products and is especially known for his plastic designs for Danese, an association that began in 1957. During the 1960s and ’70s, he experimented with the new plastics, as seen in this wastebasket. Available in several colors, the design continues in production today.

The Stewart Program for Modern Design, photo: Denis Farley.