A work of Persol

Going back to its historical bond between contemporary art and eyewear, Persol is presenting the second edition of A Work of Persol. The communication platform features eight new talents from the international contemporary art world. Art Basel 2010 will be the exclusive venue displaying the collection of Persol art works.

A Work of Persol project was launched in 2009 in cooperation with the Cutwater advertising agency of San Francisco (USA). It is based on the link between the creative process that originates a work of art and the design process for Persol eyewear. Since its interception in 1917, Persol has been recognized for its artistic expression, which is the result of a special production process that takes place entirely in Italy and is based on manual skill, culture, passion, and dedication. It takes thirty days to make a pair of Persol glasses, and each model undergoes careful quality control tests before it is sold.

The production process is the inspiration for an advertising project featuring eight international talents of contemporary art whose creative process are similar to those applied in the development of the Persol collections. Each created a work that, like Persol frames, possesses substance and artisan accuracy. These works stand out due to their exclusive production process based on an attention to detail, technique, materials, and manual skill.

The artists of A Work of Persol share the same passion for art and produced the art by using different techniques, but they all had the same inspiration: Persol. They are Anne Hardy (England), Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro (Australia), Mustafa Hulusi (England), Seher Shah (Pakistan), Amanda Ross-Ho (United States), Guillaume Leblon (France), Wilfrid Almendra (France), and Francesco Cuomo (Italy). The last artist of the 2010 edition of the project is Persol, which creates works of art designed to be worn.

The A Work of Persol communication platform will be composed of several subjects for advertising in the press, on posters, in video, online, and in stores. They will also be broadcast in Italy and France starting March 2010. The 17 works of contemporary art from the 2009 and 2010 A Work of Persol collection will be on display, with the artists attending, at Art Basel 2010 held from 16th-20th June in Basel, Switzerland.

Image: Persol Milano Bocconi Art Gallerie press preview