Italian job: Why the lighting house of Artemide has been an icon since the 1960s

Iconic lighting is a real Italian job, reports Kya deLongchamps as she charts the popularity of Artemide

The bold, hip, exploratory nature of the 1960s and early 1970s resulted in a wild departure from expected forms. Lighting is one area of mid-century madness that has survived and thrived in our current collections almost uninterrupted. Designers hit so many high lights - appreciated by architects and decorators, keeping particular lighting ranges in production for over half a century.