The life of maverick Italian designer Joe Colombo (1930–1971) may have been short, but his future-focused vision of intelligent technology and integrated living environments had a revolutionary impact on mid-century design. Colombo’s diverse career began in the world of fine art, studying painting and sculpture at the Brera Academy of Fine Art in his hometown of Milan. He gravitated towards the avant-garde art scene, becoming part of the Movimento Nucleare (Nuclear Movement) of painters, founded by Sergio Dangelo and Enrico Baj, who, inspired by mounting international anxiety about nuclear war, challenged the boundaries of painting with organic forms.