Memphis Group (Italy) post modern design

The Memphis Group, a design collaborative, was founded in Milan on the initiative of designer and architect Ettore Sottsass (1917 - 2007), in December 1980.

The group derived its name from the Bob Dylan song 'Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again', said to be playing at their inaugural meeting.

As well as Ettore Sottsass, its members included Michele de Lucchi, Barbara Radice, Nathalie du Pasquier, Marco Zanini and Martine Bedin.

The group's work was shown for the first time at the Milan Furniture Fair in September 1981 and after that exhibitions were held annually until 1988, although the designs were not universally admired.

Memphis group designers used new materials, particularly patterned laminated plastics, to achieve brightly-coloured and often kitsch effects and the group dominated Italian avant-garde design throughout the 1980s.

Most pieces are marked, and some also bear the designer's name and the date more... and place of manufacture. less...