Pere Cosp

PERE COSP (Barcelona, 1907-2007).
Writing desk and chair, 1940s-50s.
Oak wood and iron.
Measurements: 67 x 188 x 70 cm (table); 152,5 cm (table with lamp); 93 x 69 x 56 cm (chair).

This set of desk, lamp and chair designed by Pere Cosp is a magnificent example of his conception of furniture as a total work, in which functionality, craftsmanship and artistic expression are inseparably integrated. The table combines a solid wooden structure with coated surfaces and a singular module of drawers decorated with geometric motifs in marquetry, while the wrought iron lamp, with its austere lines and almost architectural character, introduces a dialogue between tradition and modernity that is very characteristic of his production. The chair, with its organic and enveloping forms, provides comfort without sacrificing the sculptural quality of the whole.

As in many of his creations, Cosp uses noble materials and refined craftsmanship techniques, combining wood, iron and decorative coatings to create unique pieces far removed from mass production. The importance of this ensemble lies precisely in this ability to recover the spirit of traditional craftsmanship and reinterpret it through a personal language, where each element is conceived to form part of a coherent environment, reflecting Pere Cosp's constant search for furniture with its own identity, material richness and a strong aesthetic presence.

Pere Cosp was an interior designer and designer from Barcelona. With a mostly self-taught background, Pere Cosp redirected the family craft workshop towards interior design and integral decoration. The profession served him to give free rein to his creative talent, intentionally distanced from the fashions and trends of the time. Proof of that nonconformist and restless personality that defined him are the designs of his furniture, which still today retain an innovative and transgressive spirit. Cosp attended the Escuela de Artes y Bellos Oficios, as well as the perspective classes of Professor Arola. But more important for him was the practical part: entering the family workshop and living closely all the trades that were developed there: gilding, moldings and all kinds of restoration work. He also worked with the furniture maker Alonso and the decorator Parcerises. Pere Cosp was a pioneer in the use of materials that we could call humble, such as pine wood, chipboard, raffia, etc., which with his treatments and uses he elevated in category. He often collaborated with other trades: in the field of metal, he worked with Biosca y Botey and Pere Peronella. In this line of collaborations are his screen feet, wall sconces, outdoor furniture for gardens, an extensive collection of knobs and handles. The decoration of these elements or the final finishing was always done in the workshop. He carried out combinations of great beauty: stone, marble -Torra Passani was the main supplier- mosaic, in collaboration with Bru, glass, Granell, enamel, Morató, lacquers. Over the course of his 50-year career, he transformed a hundred private homes into modern dwellings, often ahead of their time. His personal stamp impregnated every corner of the home: he distributed spaces, designed the furniture and decided even the smallest decorative detail.