"Memphis"
Memphis, ancient Egyptian city (southwest of Cairo). Founded in the III millennium BC. e., a major religious, political, cultural and craft center, the capital of Egypt in the 28th - 23rd centuries. BC e."
"Memphis is the name of the modern blues"
In 1981, Ettore Sottsass teamed up with two more outstanding designers, Michele de Luca and Andrea Branzi, to create the Memphis Group. There is an interesting story about the origin of this name. They say that it originated in the house of Sottsass. Bob Dylan's recording was playing, "... locked inside a gas station again with the Memphis blues..." Since no one bothered to change the record, Dylan sang about the Memphis blues over and over until Sottsass said, "Okay, let's call it Memphis." design architecture design memphis
Memphis was based on the idea that the existing design method is contrary to the current state of human society. The world around is changing rapidly, the pace of changing fashion cycles is constantly accelerating. Design focused on the absolute and eternal is paradoxically short-lived, because the object environment becomes obsolete very quickly, and this “aging” is already programmed into it. design must be brought closer to the needs of society, harmonized with the laws of obsolescence, or, conversely, create an “above-fashion” design - in other words, remove formal style-forming features from it, make it timeless.
What was the Memphis style? Its main definitions can be considered the words "not serious" and "game". Have you ever watched a child play with blocks? How he makes different designs out of them, uses different combinations, sometimes wild and incompatible. So you have an idea of what Memphis looks like.
This style became the herald of "anti-design" - "frivolous", illogical, colorful, and often emphasizing "bad taste" - it was a real anarchy in design!
It is unlikely that in Memphis it will be possible to single out any features or signs that form the style, they simply do not exist. It focuses solely on the expression of the designer's originality. But what they have in common is the sharpness of the gesture, the bold play with materials, textures and forms, the virtuoso mixture of styles. For all that, Memphis' style was attractively witty and funny. It was skillful balancing on the verge of kitsch, but this is the real art - balancing on the verge and not slipping into bad taste. He seemed to be shouting, “Don’t take design too seriously!”
First, collections of almost unique micro-series items were created. However, these collections were featured in so many fashion magazines and advertising publications that they quickly gained wide popularity. In fact, a powerful promotional campaign was carried out to introduce a new design method. And it so happened that from an exhibition phenomenon, which people come to, at best, just to stare and wonder, the idea of Memphis instantly turned into a real factor in shaping the environment.
The creators gave it a loud epithet - "new international style". And, indeed, very soon the Memphis style became the most influential in the world of design.
What made this style different from others? First of all, his objects are pleasing to the eye. This is a world of bright pure color. A paradoxical mixture of textures, textures and shapes, materials. unexpected accents.
As mentioned earlier, the main definition of this style is GAME. A game with everything you can: a game of colors and shapes. Everything is extremely simple. No deliberate complication of the form. After all, the world is diverse, filled with things and very complex by nature. A person is lost, it is difficult for him to perceive such a world - the variety of elements of the world turns into a virtual one, just into a virtual noise. Each individual object should be perceived easily. Why complicate the world even more?
In addition - individuality, originality and expressiveness. Each object has its own character. In general, the Memphis style can be compared to slang. Slang can be rude, vulgar, indecent, but it is always extremely expressive and precise. Formula "Memphis": absolute freedom of creative expression and design realism.
Another distinguishing feature was that Sottsass and his associates refused to create things for assembly line production and think only about profit and high sales. In their opinion, modern design should be of high quality and multifunctional. Soon after, Sottsass Associati was created, which was engaged in industrial design, interior design, visual communication projects, as well as numerous architectural projects around the world. The first clients of Sottsass Associati were such well-known companies as Mandelli, Brionvega, Wella. Thanks to this cooperation, original models of machine tools, televisions, hair dryers appeared. Designers were looking for new expressive means, practical and inexpensive materials, and solved many technical issues on their own.
In 1985, the Memphis Group held an exhibition called Pets. It displayed furniture, but not just furniture, but furniture with character. This is furniture that comes to life, it can no longer be treated unemotionally, you need to get along with it like pets.
Because of its unusualness and originality, "Memphis" has become a real norm for wealthy society. Having completed its task, creating a new expressive plastic language, a new visual culture, the group ceased to exist in 1989. However, the story of Memphis did not end there.
In the second half of 1996, a new trend in design appeared - toys became models for decorating household items. Their visual plasticity, the mixture of the simplest forms and primary colors again unexpectedly broke into the serious world of adults, giving them the opportunity to enjoy the endless possibilities of the Lego constructor. At this moment, the strange, ironic, decorated works of the Memphis studio turned out to be very useful, which simultaneously expressed nostalgia for a bygone childhood and the joy of finally found freedom, as well as hope for a bright bright future.
After Ettore Sottsass was proclaimed the spiritual mentor of all the followers of the "new design" movement ... he suddenly became bored. He was well aware that he had already fulfilled his main task. Now it's time to do other things.
Those who had to study the work of Sottsass unanimously admit that he "matured" completely with the onset of the 90s.
Now the designer is no longer fond of bright colors and strange shapes, his designs have become more mature, thoughtful and technical. The company under his leadership is associated with contracts with such reputable customers as Siemens, DuPont, Abel Print.
Sottsass still works hard in his Milan studio, comes up with new projects almost every year and doesn't like to read Italian newspapers, finding them boring. He considers himself a closed and uncommunicative person, he admits that he has no friends, but at the same time he believes that true bliss is to feel loved.
The most important things in his life, Ettore considers the Vedic treatises, which he is ready to reread again and again, reflecting on the endless circle of life; novels by his favorite Russian writers Leo Tolstoy and Ivan Turgenev; poetry of Sappho and the French Romantics. When asked which of his past projects have brought him more satisfaction, Sottsass prefers not to answer because life is a continuous process, a constant transition from simple to more complex. “One thing I know for sure,” says the great Ettore, “a good designer should invent things that bring good luck and build houses that protect people…”
She wrote a column for vc.ru about "Memphis" - the style of the 80s, which brought together bright colors, remarkable shapes and randomness. The authors talked about how the trend, which returned in 2016, influenced web design.
Fashion is cyclical, and so is design. In the 80s, bold and unexpected solutions in the Memphis style were relevant - they were used in interiors, clothing and graphic design.
History of appearance and main features
December 1980, Milan. Italian architect Ettore Sottsass creates a new direction in design and calls it "Memphis" - in memory of the Bob Dylan song "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again".
Memphis originated in Italy, but is still far from classic and elegant. It is based on the boldness of pop art, the geometry of art deco and the inconsistency of the kitsch style. Memphis is characterized by bold colors and a mixture of patterns, as in this poster:
Everything is possible in Memphis: use primary colors (colors that are not created by mixing), play with composition, and mix textures. Such freedom of action is so inspiring to a new generation of designers that the Wall Street Journal announced a surge in "neo-Memphis" - a new wave of this extravagant style.
Memphis in interior design
Explosions of color combined with bold graphics are the highlights of the rampant Memphis-inspired décor. Examples:
Source: Palm & Laser and
Memphis in the fashion world
Fashion designers also follow trends. Here are the clothes you can find in the Christian Dior collection:
More examples of fashion design:
Memphis in graphic design
Oh Hey magazine concept by Australian illustrator and designer Shanti Sparrow:
More examples:
Memphis in web design
There are few Memphis-style sites in Russia. More precisely, they are not at all - everything is at the level of concepts. For example, this one was developed in Rostov-on-Don for a beauty studio
Interior design
Memphis design style is now very popular again. He, as before, is characterized by revolutionary courage and a desire for creativity. Although today it can hardly be called innovative, the Memphis-style design still retains its recognizability and atmosphere.
This style first appeared in the 1980s, created by Ettore Sottsass from Milan, who managed to turn all art upside down in this way. Ettore wanted to create something to commemorate Dylan's "Memphis Blues Agai". The result was the emergence of a fundamentally new style, which is devoid of fear of experimentation and rejects standards.
It is enough to look at just one of the examples of a room decorated in this style to quickly understand that the main sources of this trend are kitsch, pop art, and art deco. Kitsch has a lot in common with pop art: common features are the absence of conventions, bright and spectacular design.
For active people who are prone to non-standard solutions and have no fear of experimentation, the new Memphis style will suit optimally, because it cannot stand facelessness and helps to open up, creating their own space - for this purpose, it has enough funds.
So how is the Memphis style different?
First of all - the use of geometric patterns. This is manifested in the forms of furniture products, color block combinations, various prints.
Of course, the above does not mean that the interior can only consist of geometric volumes - the Memphis style strives for diversity and complexity. Furniture with smooth shapes is used. This requires a combination of geometry with the materials of any element of the interior.
The maximum space for fantasy is given by the color palette. All colors must be bright. It requires the use of a variety of colors, which are complemented by a strict geometry of black, which gives contrast and graphics. The only rule relevant here is to boldly combine bright colors. An abundance of tones is welcome.
A significant role in the design is played by decor, which often has complex or even incredible shapes, distinguished by bright shades. Another important feature of Memphis is the variety of patterns. Often used paintings from pop art, film frames from legendary films, as well as manifestations of the subculture "punk".
To order an interior in the Memphis style, you need to have a sense of humor, since the applied "flashy" tones with asymmetric shapes and numerous elements that differ greatly from each other are very effective techniques, it is difficult to imagine them side by side in a familiar room. Although some "portion" of chaos does not hurt.
However, there may be rooms in this style, in which the interior is more restrained and has a more traditional look. The main principle of creating such an interior is the use of a calm background with light colors for the walls and ceiling, as well as components typical of the Memphis style (furniture, decorative and textile elements). The main rule is to play with colors, textures and materials.
A distinctive feature of this style, which allowed him to lie down many supporters, is the formation of such a room where it is simply interesting to be. There are no hard and fast rules here, everything is constantly changing and can surprise.
Memphis
December 1980, Milan, Italy
A legendary design group whose colorful furniture and recognizable style
from the 80s are gaining popularity again.
Omar Sosa
Art director of Apartamento magazine
Omar Sosa is the art director of the renowned interior design magazine Apartamento, which he founded in 2008 with his friend, photographer Nacho Alegre. Apartamento publishes its own books and collaborates with stationery manufacturers.
Memphis style
I always liked what Memphis did but now their design has become even more popular. Probably, this is due to the fashion for the 1980s - Memphis aesthetics greatly influenced the style of those years, although the group did not last long. It fascinates me that all members of the group
worked in the same style - it is almost impossible to distinguish the works of one designer from another. Of course the Memphis members would kill me for saying this, but their design seems very unified if you haven't studied the subject.
All members of Memphis had different backgrounds: some were artists, some were architects, others were designers, and that's why the group's projects were so interesting. Of course, Memphis furniture was not very practical. If you say that design is about solving problems, then Memphis is not design. But design is also a certain style, and sometimes a historical value - and then Memphis projects can be called an important chapter in the history of design. The significance of the group for contemporary art cannot be denied either.
Nathalie du Pasquier and Apartamento
The patterns and textures at Memphis were handled by Nathalie Du Pasquier. I accidentally stumbled upon some of Natalie's work on the Internet and immediately showed them to Nacho Alegre, with whom we are making Apartamento. We tried to find out more about her work, and I saw Natalie's paintings depicting everyday objects - compositions with dishes, a telephone, some ordinary things. It's especially cool to see her work live: she depicts all objects 2-3 times their natural size. Natalie's drawings are very subtle and the choice of colors is also good.
It is almost impossible to distinguish the works of one Memphis designer from another
A year later, we started working together on a project for the Japanese brand MARK "S. Apartamento released notebooks with plastic covers, which depict the work of three authors: Natalie du Pasquier, Eli Kishimoto and Bertian Pot. In fact, I do not participate much in our projects - Natalie draws and invents everything herself.She works very quickly - she paints every day, and when she is not painting, she draws or comes up with some kind of project.
It amazes me that she spends almost no time thinking - she does it right away, without planning everything for too long. This is amazing, because I work in a completely different way: I discuss everything with the client for a long time, then I think about the budget - there are a lot of approvals, and Natalie does everything instantly.
After the breakup of the group
After the breakup of Memphis, all members of the group, except for Ettore Sottsass, who unfortunately died in 2007, continue to design - and often they do very different things. For example, George Sowden comes up with very minimalist teapots for his Sowden brand and tries to create the perfect filters - it's not just about design, it's about technology. Natalie only worked as a designer for a few years during the 1980s (after the collapse of Memphis, she devoted herself entirely to painting) and hundreds of sketches have remained since then.
As part of Memphis, she came up with so many design projects that almost no one saw them. Natalie designed amazing furniture, but her designs are more of an illustration. She did not think through furniture in the way an industrial designer could, and therefore only the most restrained projects were implemented, and the crazy ones remained on paper. She showed me whole suitcases filled with her work - it's amazing! It seems to me that now we can give them a second life.
Memphis: Timeline
At the end of December 1980 64-year-old Italian architect and former art director of Olivetti, Ettore Sottsas, gathers young designers Michele de Lucchi, Martin Beden, Aldo Chibich, Matteo Thun and Marco Zanini in his Milan apartment and talks about his plans to launch a furniture line. Memphis appears, a design group consisting of Sottsass and young authors. A few months later, Natalie du Pasquier and George Sowden join her.
Exhibition opens September 18 Memphis in the Arc'74 showroom in Milan. Among other objects, the exhibition features Martin Beden's Superlamp, which would become one of the band's most recognizable pieces. Also at the Milan exhibition show Carlton - the famous multi-colored cabinet Ettore Sottsass. The show is a huge success.
The Memphis book comes out: The New International Style, which outlines the main ideas of the design group.
And others. Denying “good taste”, bourgeoisness and consumerism, focusing on everyday life, the authors of “Memphis” used inexpensive materials (laminate from bars and cafes), were fond of comics, collages, asymmetric shapes, and open color. Most of the Memphis objects resemble toys: fun play, freedom, anarchy - the theme of their anti-design - illogical, anti-modernist, original.
For Memphicists form was not supposed to follow function.They exhibited prototypes, which has become commonplace at design shows thanks to Memphis.Previously, every piece of furniture offered had to be ready for mass production, so manufacturers took little risk for a new one.
The first devoted fan of the group is considered to be: he furnished his then apartment in Monte Carlo exclusively with the works of the Memphists. After In 2007, when Sottsass died, Memphis began to crawl back into the design world.In 2014, the American brand asked to create a collection for him.In the same year, Sofia Coppola admitted that she was obsessed with Memphis in her youth.In November 2017, the family sold his art collection to , where it was revealed that Bowie had collected more than 400 Memphicist pieces after meeting Sottsass in the 80s.
One of the main and youngest members of Memphis was a Frenchwoman. In an interview, she answered Alina Pinskaya's questions: “We met in Martin's Parisian apartment,” says Alina. - An idealist, doing only her favorite thing, she gives the impression of an independent person and living in harmony with herself. She is distinguished by lightness and youthful perception of the world, but also by strength of character, along with categorical judgments.
Designer Martin Bedan.
gallerist, blogger
Art historian, curator, founder of the Palisander Gallery. Specialization - post-war design and abstract painting of the second half of the twentieth century.
"Martin Bedan carries within him an unceasing innocent courage, which eventually becomes a symbol of freedom, luminous and transparent." Ettore Sottsass.
Rulman of our days does not exist? I think that there are wonderful craftsmen who are very focused on their work, making exceptional furniture. , for example. The era of great design speculation is over - dead. When they sold Memphis items from the David Bowie collection, it was clear that they were buying primarily Bowie's scratches on the items, and not the items themselves.
"Memphis" - a protest against elitism? No, because if we consider ourselves intellectuals, we automatically become part of the elite. It was a protest against the market generating consumption. A small group of people of all ages: and I was in my 20s, over 60, we came together to create a design in a kind of "resistance" to the ideas of marketing and fashion. The objects of radical designers are close in spirit to art. Non-functional frenzy, like a pincushion-shaped lamp. But the problem is that Memphis has become trendy. Our protest suddenly created things-icons. They were never over-commercial, but everything went against our original idea... We were also very close to conceptualism: for example, drawing straw chairs that had to be set on fire before sitting down.
How can we "radicalize" in our time? Buy nothing (laughs).
Riveria carpet, Nathalie du Pasquier. Estimated 800 -1 200 f. Art. Sold for £27,500 Art. Sotheby's. David Bowie Collection.
"I think the era of great design speculation is over - dead."
Tell me, how do such "groupings" happen? How does this compare with the individualism inherent in all creative personalities? There were four or five major designers in Milan then. was still alive, I knew him, but he hardly worked anymore. There was Achille Castiglioni, there was Sottsass (who then worked mainly for Olivetti). There were also, younger ones, an intellectual who published the magazines Casabella and then Domus. And there were young people like me. I left to study architecture in Florence at 18 and joined the radical Superstudio movement before Memphis. At that time there already existed "Archisum" in Italy, "Archigram" in England - very European phenomena, a revolt against the totalitarianism of industry, marketing, consumption. Almost all members of Memphis knew each other. , like me, for example, also studied in Florence.
Chairs Riviera, diz. Michele de Lucchi. Estimate 500–700. f. Art. Sold for £8,125 Art. Sotheby's. David Bowie Collection.
We were invited to exhibit at the Milan Triennale in 1977. There I met Sottsass. And then I drew a Super lamp, making a mock-up of cardboard, because there was no money for more. Sottsass asked me: "Tu qui sei?" ("And who are you?"), to which I replied: “I am nobody, and who are you?”. So, at the age of 20, as a student, like other young designers, I went to Milan to work with Sotsass. He had no money - we were not paid. We ate sausages and had fun. In addition, many had additional classes - for example, I wrote for French publications. We can say that it was a group of "surviving" youth around Sottsass. We were very happy with him.
Sofa Lido, diz. Michele de Lucchi. Estimate 1.5–2000. f. Art. Sold for £16,260 Art. Sotheby's. David Bowie Collection.
One day everyone went to Corsica to my family home. Armed with notebooks, we drew a lot - objects, furniture. Once they laid out drawings on the floor, and Sottsass said: “Something must be done about this!” Returning with drawings to Milan, we, to the song of Bob Dylan Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again, chose the name "Memphis" ... Our community was very closed. I then lived with Michele de Lucchi, Natalie (du Pasquier)- with George Sowden. It was like a kibbutz.
Kettle Colorado, diz. Marco Zanini. Estimated £300–500 Sold for £10,625 Art. Sotheby's. David Bowie Collection.
In 1990 I left Milan, but we always kept in touch. And so far it is. Michele (Michele de Luca was the husband of Martin Bedan for 12 years) and now he can ask me “Is there any news from Natalie? I haven't seen her for three months." With Barbara (Barbara Radice, wife of Ettore Sottsass, journalist and "chronicler" of the association) we also keep in touch.
Bookcase Adesso Pero, diz. Ettore Sottsass. Estimeyt 5-7 thousand pounds. Art. Sotheby's. David Bowie Collection.
Why were there only two women in the group (except for Barbara Radice)? The group was very closed. she was also with us at the beginning. We lived in the same neighborhood, worked in the same basement, froze together in Ettore's office. It was a family story and, of course, it was pure avant-garde. Like a train: if it runs non-stop, no one can jump on it or get off it. Many wanted to join, sent drawings. And no one said no, it's just that what they sent was a copy of Memphis ... We decided to stop when we started repeating ourselves - the concept blurred and it was no longer avant-garde.
Dining table Madras, diz. Natalie du Pasquier. Estimeyt 1-1.5 thousand pounds. Art. Sotheby's. David Bowie Collection.
What was the atmosphere like in the group? Were there people you found it easier to work with, and vice versa? We were like a rock band: we had a lot of fun, we had parties. Everyone drew something in their corner, then we showed each other. Sottsass was an intellectual center, a conductor. Very organized, strong spiritually. Extraordinary. At the same time, he was closed - he did not particularly like meeting new people.
Orinoco vases, diz. Masanori Umeda. Estimate 400-600 f. Art. Sold for £6250 Sotheby's. David Bowie Collection.
Were the Japanese also "rockers"? It is hard to imagine. Tell about them. Umeda sent Sottsass a telegram saying: “I am a student from Japan, I want to work with you. I'll be back after the summer." Sottsass then did not understand why it took so long to delay, because it was only February. But Umeda explained that he would come by ship, and in winter it was not safe, so he would land the ship in June, and would be with us only in September. He was very funny. Shy. did not live with us - he periodically sent his drawings. But he became a close friend, part of my family, he came to Milan. He was just like us - he liked to drink, dance. Relations with him were especially deep.
Lamp Super, diz. Martin Bedan. Estimated 250–350 f. Art. Sold £11,250 Art. Sotheby's. David Bowie Collection.
How did the Super lamp come about? While studying in Florence, I started designing objects. I realized that they should be “different”, like some kind of viruses: you put a thing in space, and it “charges” it with itself. My father was a design engineer. I loved everything related to technology, mechanics, light bulbs, etc. In addition, I always traveled, lived in constant movement ... So I came up with the idea of a lamp that you can take with you. My big lamp with a "small" name Lampe de Poche (pocket flashlight) appeared on paper in the days of Memphis, but was first published in an edition of six copies only recently. I didn't choose the name. When we did the first Memphis show, there was a vote. I don't remember whose idea it was, but we decided to give our creations the names of the hotels where we stayed. I remember this Super Hotel in New Delhi. From there Carlton (the famous Sottsass whatnot, - ed.) etc. And yes, if you want to find an authentic, first version of my lamp, 1981 or 1982, then the body was metal, not plastic.
Rack Carlton, diz. Ettore Sottsass. Estimeyt 5-7 thousand pounds. Art.
What are your favorite Memphis items? I have two things - a terrazzo Kuramata table and another small table by Ettore. There are other objects of Ettore, but not the Memphis time.
Table Kyoto, diz. Shiro Kuramato. Memphis. Terrazzo.
Collectors have an interest in original Memphis items. How to distinguish them? The 1981 Memphis facilities have labels attached with two small screws. It is clear that they are already very battered. If the plates are new - this is not an early edition. And one more very important detail for identifying the first things - upon closer examination, the surfaces are visible ... laminated mosquitoes. We did these things in the summer near Turin and there were hordes of mosquitoes (laughs). But remember, the main thing in the subject is not the label, but the thought of the designer.
