Lamps by Memphis Group designers De Lucchi, Bley and Sottsass (Image courtesy of Dennis Zanone)
If you’re a fan of Memphis-Milano design, perhaps you’ve noticed the candy colors, irresistible forms and texture-based patterns that items from this influential movement boast. In fact, the Memphis Group, a Milan-based collective of furniture and product designers formed in 1981, introduced its own brand of shocking color and geometry. Designers like Michele De Lucchi, Thomas Bley, and Ettore Sottsass put their creative stamp on the movement, as shown in the image above.
Is it me, or do the colors and shapes of Memphis-Milano design evoke the joys of dessert?
Above: A Memphis-Milano collection curated by Dennis Zanone (Image courtesy of Dennis Zanone); Below: A Memphis-Milano-inspired dessert
Take a look at the top picture in this vignette. It’s a collection of Memphis-Milano items, from furniture to lamps and tabletop decor. These curated treasures have been assembled by twenty-year Memphis-Milano collector Dennis Zanone, who was featured in a previous post. A special thank-you to Dennis for making this post possible. Check out his Flickr photostream here, and join his Facebook fans here.
The hues and motifs displayed in the art pieces above look good enough to eat. So here’s a little dessert inspired by the Memphis Group… The concoction in the bottom picture consists of ice cream in pastel shades–Mint Chocolate Chip and Cotton Candy by Blue Bell, to be exact. But the sprinkles steal the show. Don’t they resemble the pattern on the lamps at the top of the post? Take a closer look at Memphis-Milano items, and you’ll notice this motif pop up from time to time.
In the meantime, there’s always time for a summer treat, ’80s-style!
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