Flavio Poli Biography
Flavio Poli (Chioggia, 1900 – Venice, 1984) was an Italian designer, ceramist and painter. In 1929 Flavio Poli collaborated with the IVAM (Industrie Vetraie Artistiche Murano) company - of which Libero Vitali was a partner - and designed figures to be made in solid glass. Poli was the first to address the theme of the female nude in Murano: in the Compostiera of 1929-30, he designed a central female bust, with the function of a grip. For the Company of Venice and Murano he designed massive animals and for the artistic glassworks Mario and Lino Nason he created figures, in collaboration with the engraver Gino Francesconi. He also collaborated with the ancient glassworks Pauly & C. - Compagnia Venezia Murano. His designs were made in glass by professional glassmakers, including Francesco Martinuzzi and Italo Nason, who created the series of Pudore sculptures, in pure twentieth-century style, drawing each one from a single mass of transparent, white or amber glass. One of these female nudes belonged to the collection of Duilio Cambellotti and was exhibited at the Monza Biennale in 1930 and at the Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Amsterdam in 1931. The Applied Arts collection of the Castello Sforzesco in Milan has two sculptures from this series which come from collection by Ugo Nebbia. In 1934 IVAM became associated with Barovier Seguso & Ferro and in 1937 it took the name of Seguso Vetri d'Arte: from an ancient family forge it thus became a real company, especially starting from 1934, when Flavio Poli took over the artistic direction, also becoming a partner in 1937. Flavio Poli designed large, massive vases, sculptures and lamps for Seguso Vetri d'Arte.
