Joe Colombo (1930 - 1971) died on his 41st birthday. What he was able to accomplish in the relatively short period of time an industrial designer is nothing short of remarkable. Cesare "Joe" Colombo's work was always underscored by a commitment to innovation with new materials and technologies to engender new aesthetics - in the context of the 1960s, indeed his designs were novel and futuristic.  Until 1949, Colombo was educated at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera as a painter; until 1954, he studied architecture at the Politecnico di Milano. In 1951 he had joined the Movimento Nucleare and was active as an Abstract Expressionist painter.  In 1955, Colombo joined the Art Concret group, but gave up his painting to promote his design career.  In 1959, Colombo had to take over the family company, which produced electric appliances, and started to experiment with new construction and production technologies.  In 1962 Colombo opened his own interior design and architecture studio.  Colombo designed products for Flexform, Kartell, Bieffe, Stilnovo, and Oluce.  His work has won numerous awards and is included in the permanent collections of museums around the world.