Work: Tizio

Description

“I like the light that only falls on the sheet of paper in front of me.” — Richard Sapper

The Tizio lamp—whose name playfully translates from Italian as “guy” or “fellow”—was designed by Richard Sapper in 1972 and remains an active staple of the Artemide catalog in a variety of sizes and finishes. It is widely considered the ultimate task lamp for architects and designers, offering an exceptional range of movement while occupying a remarkably small footprint on the desk.

The Tizio is a triumph of lighting engineering—profoundly innovative when it debuted and still unsurpassed today. In a brilliant feat of design, the low-voltage electrical current flows directly through the metallic structure itself, completely eliminating the need for visible wires. Geometrically, its components operate as a flawless system of counterweighted levers, featuring two articulated arms that can be effortlessly adjusted to extend far over a workspace. To shift the direction of the light, one simply rotates the cylindrical base. Visually and tactilely, each painted polycarbonate arm presents as a pair of sleek, widely spaced parallel lines. The head of the lamp, which houses an energy-efficient LED in modern editions, is crafted from painted aluminum. The specific model in our collection is finished in classic black, standing 66 cm high and measuring 77 cm long when fully extended.

“He is the Tizio lamp man—the one who hasn’t made a bad object yet.” — Ettore Sottsass on Richard Sapper

Tizio – duration 1:02
Sonic evocation of the object created by Paolo Ferrario

Further info: Tizio on the Artemide website