The Memphis Group

As mentioned in the previous post, Post-Modernism led to the foundation of the Memphis group. Ettore Sottsass was the main founder in 1982. Together with the other main five designers; Michele De Lucchi, Marco Zanini, Mateo Thun, Nathalie du Pasquier and George Sowden, the aim of the Memphis group was to re-invigorate the Radical Design Movement.

After Mendini's re-designing became the central to the output of Studio Alchimia, Ettore Sottsass found this to be too creatively restricting and so he left this group. In 1980 he reunited with the group and while collaborating with his group mates, he played the Bob Dylan's song entitled "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" over and over, and this is when he came up with the name of the group "Memphis". Sottsass also called the group the "New International Style".

The group produced bright, colourful, shocking pieces which reflected that period. Inspiration was taken from previous movements such as Art Deco and Pop Design as well as the Kitsch style and futuristic themes.

The Carlton bookshelf was a creative design having angled shelves and bright colours. 

Most of their collection products were finished in brightly coloured laminates. At that time laminates were mostly used to protect kitchen furniture but the group had chosen to work with this material because of its lack of culture.

Carlton Bookcase,1981

Memphis, 1980s                                                                                     Art Nouveau, 1867

This image above shows a bookshelf created by the Memphis which reminded me of a cabinet back from Art Nouveau. They both include straight lines and geometric forms.

The group's hybrid themes and oblique quotations of past styles produced a new post-modern vocabulary of design.

References:

GreenHalgh, P. 2000. Essential Art Nouveau. V&A Publications: London.

Paolo Feroleto, 2010. Information on the Memphis Design Movement. [image online] Available at: http://italychronicles.com/italian-design-focus-on-the-memphis-design-movement/ [Accessed 7th January 2014]

Rowan Derryth, 2010. Prim Perfect. [imge online] Available at: http://primperfectblog.wordpress.com/2010/10/31/ekphrasis-eliza-wierwight/ [Accessed 7th January 2014]

iDesignArch, n.d. Memphis Milano Collection. [image online] Available at: http://www.idesignarch.com/memphis-milano-collection/ [Accessed 7th January 2014]