# Memphis Design

> The Milan collective founded by Ettore Sottsass, whose furniture, laminates and objects (first shown in September 1981) became a graphic language of their own. Clashing colours, speckles, squiggles, zigzags and primitive geometric shapes were combined with deliberate bad taste, mocking modernist good form while quoting 1950s kitsch, Pop and Art Deco.

- Period: 1981–1988
- Where: Southern Europe
- Origin: Milan, Italy
- Branch: Postmodern
- Also known as: Memphis Group, Memphis Milano
- Page: https://stylogeny.com/styles/memphis/

## How it works

- Build compositions from primitive solids (circles, triangles, cylinders) stacked or scattered without a grid.
- Clash saturated and pastel colours deliberately: pink against black, mint against red, yellow against blue.
- Cover surfaces with printed pattern (squiggles, speckles, zigzags, dot grids) as if they were laminate.
- Mock good taste by quoting 1950s kitsch, Art Deco and suburban décor with knowing irony.
- Outline shapes in black and keep colour flat, like a cartoon of a design object.

## Its design choices

Defining choices make the style, characteristic ones are usual, occasional ones turn up now and then.

### Layout & composition
- [Dynamic asymmetry](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/dynamic-asymmetry/) (characteristic)
- [All-over field](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/all-over-field/) (characteristic)
- [Isolated object](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/isolated-object/) (characteristic)

### Space & hierarchy
- [Flat hierarchy](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/flat-hierarchy/) (characteristic)
- [Repetition & rhythm](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/repetition-and-rhythm/) (characteristic)

### Typography
- [Geometric sans](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/geometric-sans/) (characteristic)
- [Hand-lettering](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/hand-lettering/) (occasional)
- [Experimental & distorted](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/experimental-and-distorted/) (occasional)

### Colour
- [Complementary clash](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/complementary-clash/) (defining)
- [Full polychrome](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/full-polychrome/) (characteristic)
- [Pastel](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/pastel/) (characteristic)
- [Flat fields](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/flat-fields/) (characteristic)

### Form & shape
- [Geometric primitives](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/geometric-primitives/) (defining)
- [Squiggles & confetti](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/squiggles-and-confetti/) (defining)
- [Angular & zigzag](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/angular-and-zigzag/) (characteristic)
- [Non-representational](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/non-representational/) (characteristic)
- [Rounded & pill](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/rounded-and-pill/) (occasional)

### Surface & texture
- [Flat](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/flat/) (characteristic)
- [Hard offset shadow](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/hard-offset-shadow/) (occasional)

### Ornament
- [Abundant decoration](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/abundant-decoration/) (characteristic)
- [Geometric tessellation](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/geometric-tessellation/) (characteristic)
- [Rules & bars](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/rules-and-bars/) (occasional)

### Imagery
- [Pattern & repeat](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/pattern-and-repeat/) (defining)
- [Straight photography](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/straight-photography/) (occasional)
- [Flat vector illustration](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/flat-vector-illustration/) (occasional)

### Medium & production
- [Textile & craft](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/textile-and-craft/) (characteristic)
- [Offset printing](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/offset-printing/) (characteristic)
- [Architecture & signage](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/architecture-and-signage/) (occasional)

### Tone & intent
- [Playful & witty](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/playful-and-witty/) (defining)
- [Ironic & self-aware](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/ironic-and-self-aware/) (characteristic)
- [Rebellious & subversive](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/rebellious-and-subversive/) (characteristic)
- [Nostalgic & retro](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/nostalgic-and-retro/) (occasional)

Avoids: Modular grid, Monochrome, Earth & mineral, Naturalistic depiction, Ornament-free, Floral & vegetal, Rational & objective, Calm & contemplative

Palette: #f7a1c4, #2ec4b6, #ffd23f, #111111, #2a52be, #ff5a36

Typefaces: Futura, ITC Avant Garde Gothic, Hand-cut geometric display lettering

Known for: Ettore Sottsass (Carlton room divider, 1981; Bacterio laminate pattern); Nathalie Du Pasquier (textile and laminate patterns); George Sowden; Michele De Lucchi; Peter Shire; Christoph Radl (Memphis furniture graphics, 1981–83); Abet Laminati (printed plastic laminates)

## Where it comes from, and what it’s close to

- Grew out of: [Pop Art Graphics](https://stylogeny.com/styles/pop-art.md) (1955–1975)
- Influenced by: [Art Deco](https://stylogeny.com/styles/art-deco.md) (1910–1939)
- Influenced by: [Googie & Atomic Age](https://stylogeny.com/styles/googie.md) (1945–1965)
- Led to: [Global Village Coffeehouse](https://stylogeny.com/styles/global-village-coffeehouse.md) (1988–2003)
- Alike in its design choices: [Indian Pop-Kitsch Design (Desi Kitsch)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/indian-kitsch.md) (1997–present), 54% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Casablanca School Graphic Modernism](https://stylogeny.com/styles/casablanca-school.md) (1962–1987), 52% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Amazigh Sign System & Tifinagh](https://stylogeny.com/styles/amazigh-sign-system.md) (c. 0–present), 52% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Superflat](https://stylogeny.com/styles/superflat.md) (1993–present), 50% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Guna Mola](https://stylogeny.com/styles/guna-mola.md) (1900–present), 47% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Op Art Graphics](https://stylogeny.com/styles/op-art.md) (1960–1975), 44% alike

## Real works

- [Cerchio (furnishing textile)](https://www.mplus.org.hk/en/collection/objects/cerchio-2019374/): Nathalie Du Pasquier (designer) for Memphis S.r.l., 1983, M+, Hong Kong (2019.374); another length at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (1986.398.4)
- [Design for two beds with quilts](https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O147899/): Nathalie Du Pasquier and George Sowden, 1982 (signed and dated 82), Victoria and Albert Museum, London (E.415-1986)
- [Memphis swatch card of printed cottons](https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O294419/): Memphis Milano, 1985, Victoria and Albert Museum, London (T.41-1989)
- [Designs for 'Carlton' bookcase (room divider) and 'Casablanca' sideboard](https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O539978/): Ettore Sottsass, 1 May 1981 (dated on sheet), Victoria and Albert Museum, London (E.414-1986)
- [Black and white interior, dining room (from a set of three patterned-interior prints)](https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1194267/): George J. Sowden, 1983 (inscribed 'Milano 1983', edition 65/99), Victoria and Albert Museum, London (E.292-2011)

## Sources

- Barbara Radice, Memphis: Research, Experiences, Results, Failures and Successes of New Design (1984)
- Stedelijk Museum collection, Christoph Radl, Memphis 81 Furniture-Milano (1981)
- Philip B. Meggs & Alston W. Purvis, Meggs' History of Graphic Design

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From Stylogeny (https://stylogeny.com/), an atlas of graphic-design styles by Van Riel Online Services. How it is made: https://stylogeny.com/about/. Cite as: Stylogeny, “Memphis Design”, https://stylogeny.com/styles/memphis/