The style was, after all, made to oppose practicality, and it could not sustain itself in practical, everyday settings. But like the bright star that it was, it was doomed to burn out fast. The spirit of Memphis Design was one of liberation and joy, emphasized by the multitude of colors and the explosive geometry. Though it was an act of rebellion, anger was never the point. This was capped by the emerging MTV channel adopting the aesthetic for its logo. Memphis Design found a particular home in US youth culture, standing in sharp contrast to the austerity of the Reagan administration. MTV’s logo featured a variety of Memphis patterns in the 80s. In short, the 80s were over-the-top and not afraid to flaunt it. The intentional “bad taste” fit in neatly with the decade that saw the rise of glam metal, shoulder pads and parachute pants, Mohawks and big hair perms. Image via PinterestĪlthough it began with furniture, the style proved popular enough to extend to general art, graphic design and fashion. The Memphis style became commonplace in 80s fashion. The Memphis Design movement, named after lyrics from the Bob Dylan album Blonde on Blonde that had christened the event, was everywhere. Predictably, this exposition caused a stir in the design community, and soon enough, even its haters found it difficult to avoid the trend. The furniture was colorful, asymmetrical, often uncomfortable, constructed of cheap materials and-in a cheeky parody of high class culture-all named after luxury hotels. An exposition followed thereafter in which they showcased outlandishly gaudy pieces. The response of the Milan party, later dubbed the Memphis Group, was a bold style that would disrupt the status quo. The designers that made up the Memphis group, founded by Ettore Sottsass. WWII further escalated this sentiment as shortages in materials led to largely sparse, utilitarian styles that carried over as the decades marched on. “Form follows function,” the classic Bauhaus mantra, had been twisted to deem any aesthetic flair unnecessary. Also the Pop Art movement of the 60s, which challenged highbrow taste by incorporating elements of popular “low” culture.īut no style was more influential on Memphis Design than modern minimalism. These include the abstract shapes and colors of Cubism, De Stijl and Harlem Renaissance art. Kadinsky’s work also likely inspired the Memphis design movement. Long before all this, there had been a number of fine art and design movements that precipitated Memphis Design, and these were likely on the guests’ minds as they traced where it all had gone wrong. De Stijl is a past style that likely inspired the Memphis design movement. It was the general state of design-how creativity had stagnated to become corporate and uniform. But it wasn’t the party that bored the guests. The birth of Memphis Design was a lot like this, starting with a gathering of architects and industrial designers in Milan, Italy in 1981. So you sneak a desperate gulp of your drink, slip on your tinted sunglasses and leap atop of the sofa. As you look around the yawning faces of the guests, you realize it’s going to take drastic measures to salvage any excitement out of this long night. You wonder how a party, something that is supposed to be fun, can feel like it’s draining the life out of your very soul. You’ve been bored for a while-years, it feels like. Imagine you’re at a party, and you’re bored. The history of the Memphis Design movement Let’s take a look back at the history of Memphis Design and the people and influences who created the movement. Today, Memphis Design is remembered as the defining look for the 80s, and the context of the era that birthed it is necessary to fully understand it. It typically combines circles and triangles with black-and-white graphic patterns such as polka dots and squiggly lines. Memphis Design is a 1980s design aesthetic characterized by scattered, brightly colored shapes and lines. With that in mind, we’re going to give you tips on how to leverage this classic style to your benefit by walking you through the history of Memphis Design and its modern incarnations. On the other hand, a good designer can turn these sins into virtues: obnoxious retro becoming lively nostalgia. And when implemented without care, it can make some design projects feel antiquated. It is a loud, colorful style that is hard to separate from its era. Design by OrangeCrushĪs popular and influential as Memphis Design has been over the years, it can sometimes get a bad rap. The result was a style that was revolutionary in its time and whose spirit is a continual source of inspiration to this day. Like so many artistic reactions, it began as an outlet for its creators, a way to rail against and confound elite sensibilities. The Memphis Design movement is one of unlikeliest success stories in the history of design.
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