REBEL: Italian architect Ettore Sottsass dislikes being called a postmodernist, yet thats how his hard-to-categorize, revolutionary designs of furniture, ceramics, jewelry and houses are often labeled. At 88, hes having his first major U.S. show. (Myung J. Chun / LAT)
TOP-SHELF: Ettore Sottsass Japanese ash, and olive-dyed Cabinet No. 54, made by the Netherlands Gallery Mourmans, is among works in the LACMA exhibit that opens Sunday. (Myung J. Chun / LAT)
A wood and glass bookcase titled Adesso Però (But Now) and chest of drawers, Mobile Giallo (Yellow Furniture), made of stained birch with gold-leaf knobs, are in the LACMA show (Myung J. Chun / LAT)
A 1994 leaning wood and plastic laminate bookshelf. (Myung J. Chun / LAT)
COLORFUL CONCEPTS: Bright blocks of red, yellow and green define spaces in Sottsass Olabuenaga house in Maui and show a kinship between his architecture and furniture designs. (Grey Crawford / LAT)
A 1969 green glazed earthenware altar titled Altar: For the Sacrifice of My Solitude [Before It Is Desecrated by the Deceit of Politics]. (Myung J. Chun / LAT)
