6 ms·

David Bowie‘s collection of Memphis-Milano furniture (2016)

69 points by tintinnabula 7y ago

tcbawo 7y ago
Stylistically, it's hard to imagine anything as stereotypically 80s as this collection of furniture and lamps. It's like the early days of 3D rendering in physical form.
- liquid153 7y ago
  No it’s not.
  - fastbeef 7y ago
    Is too!
- TheOtherHobbes 7y ago
  That's because graphic designers in the late 80s and 90s slavishly copied this design language from the early 80s. The originals were prestige high-ticket items. It's interesting how the style trickled down to mass culture.
  - matt-attack 7y ago
    Pretty sure that’s just how things work. Svante guard designs start out as elite expensive works, whether they’re furniture, art, or fashion. As time goes one that work “trickles” down to mass produced items for the masses. The Devil Wears Prada had a neat little scene about it: https://youtu.be/awmyDjY-8e8 https://youtu.be/awmyDjY-8e8
- Kaibeezy 7y ago
  I was in architecture school in the early 80s, part of the last generation trained to produce only hand-drawn work. Memphis, plus Michael Graves on the buttoned-down side (what do you mean you can’t find a caryatid supplier?) and Frank Gehry on the wild side (the chain link fence goes where?), were hugely disruptive, creating imagery that was “so wrong it had to be right” for us noob designers. That said, two of the most archetypal 80s things I can think of are that weird percussion break in the middle of “Owner of a Lonely Heart”, by Yes, and David Byrne’s huge suit. Although these are music-related, they were every bit as influential to my cohort.
  - mc32 7y ago
    That huge suit found itself in oversized jackets and shirts (all kinds of “tops”) in Hollywood. Looking at early pictures of mature stars today, Pitt, Moore, Roberts, etc... shudder...
mturmon 7y ago
> The upcoming Sotheby’s auction includes a few other items that predate the movement, like Bowie’s red Olivetti from 1969, as well as the full breadth of Memphis output, from a 1981 “Nefertiti” tea set by Matteo Thun to a 1986 “Big Sur” sofa by Peter Shire. The article features a big pic of Peter Shire’s iconic sofa. Peter is one of the original awesome guys of the LA art world. He has kept a studio in Echo Park for years, and he has a holiday open house where you can buy some of his smaller objects. His studio website seems down, but here’s his feed: https://www.instagram.com/petershire/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/petershire/?hl=en, and some pictures from his studio: http://www.yoshimakino.us/work/artist-visit-2/ http://www.yoshimakino.us/work/artist-visit-2/
Tepix 7y ago
The title was altered from the original article. Unfortunately, the new title features the wrong apostrophe character (a left single quotation mark was used instead of the correct right single quotation mark). So it’s »‘« instead of »’«.
- jedimastert 7y ago
  Also, why use directional quotation marks at all? I don't see the need here
alex_young 7y ago
This style is still alive and well in Milano - on a recent trip to La Rinascente (a shopping mall) I noticed a new edition of the record player listed here. I also noticed no indication of price, and correctly assumed it was out of the sane spectrum - https://www.brionvega.it/en/products/radiofonografo/radiofonografo-rr226-o.html https://www.brionvega.it/en/products/radiofonografo/radiofon...
- cpach 7y ago
  That’s awesome! Feel free to post some more links (or mail me), I’m very fascinated by Italian design.
jermaustin1 7y ago
These pieces of furniture remind me of all of my childhood clothes. My parents dressed me almost exclusively in Bugle Boy from 1988 to 1995. I thought I was rid of this nightmare.
- cbm-vic-20 7y ago
  "Excuse me, are those Bugle Boy Jeans you're wearing?"
  - ubertakter 7y ago
    Forgive the tangent: ... I once had a pair of bugle boy pants and I wore them into a gas station and this story has nothing to do with waffles but the lady at the gas station said, "By any chance are those bugle boy pants you're wearing?" and I said "Why yes they are" And that's the real story of this song You gotta wear pants to get waffles You gotta wear pants to get waffles they said no shoes, no service but if you don't wear pants you'll get thrown out on your ass (From my band's song "Waffles"... no good recordings of it exist though)
- rkachowski 7y ago
  I also find this style awful and nightmarish. I can only assume it developed as some kind of cultural reaction to the situations at the time, because it seems so damningly unattractive to me. Of course this is my super subjective opinion and I'm sure there's a perfectly acceptable way to appreciate it - but the sheer contrasts and color clashing remind me of the smell of dust and mediocre LP covers bleached pale from sunlight.
bschne 7y ago
Looking at some of Ettore Sottsass' earlier industrial design work he did for Olivetti (e.g. the Valentine typewriter or the Divisumma calculator), and then at his Memphis Milano stuff, it almost seems like he woke up one day a bit bored and decided to go completely nuts from now on. Not sure it's true bot I recall reading somewhere that the goal with Memphis Milano was to apply the colors and forms of abstract painting to furniture design. The Carlton bookcase is... quite something.

69 points by tintinnabula 7y ago

Stylistically, it's hard to imagine anything as stereotypically 80s as this collection of furniture and lamps. It's like the early days of 3D rendering in physical form.

liquid153 7y ago
No it’s not.
- fastbeef 7y ago
  Is too!
TheOtherHobbes 7y ago
That's because graphic designers in the late 80s and 90s slavishly copied this design language from the early 80s. The originals were prestige high-ticket items. It's interesting how the style trickled down to mass culture.
- matt-attack 7y ago
  Pretty sure that’s just how things work. Svante guard designs start out as elite expensive works, whether they’re furniture, art, or fashion. As time goes one that work “trickles” down to mass produced items for the masses. The Devil Wears Prada had a neat little scene about it: https://youtu.be/awmyDjY-8e8 https://youtu.be/awmyDjY-8e8
Kaibeezy 7y ago
I was in architecture school in the early 80s, part of the last generation trained to produce only hand-drawn work. Memphis, plus Michael Graves on the buttoned-down side (what do you mean you can’t find a caryatid supplier?) and Frank Gehry on the wild side (the chain link fence goes where?), were hugely disruptive, creating imagery that was “so wrong it had to be right” for us noob designers. That said, two of the most archetypal 80s things I can think of are that weird percussion break in the middle of “Owner of a Lonely Heart”, by Yes, and David Byrne’s huge suit. Although these are music-related, they were every bit as influential to my cohort.
- mc32 7y ago
  That huge suit found itself in oversized jackets and shirts (all kinds of “tops”) in Hollywood. Looking at early pictures of mature stars today, Pitt, Moore, Roberts, etc... shudder...

mturmon 7y ago

> The upcoming Sotheby’s auction includes a few other items that predate the movement, like Bowie’s red Olivetti from 1969, as well as the full breadth of Memphis output, from a 1981 “Nefertiti” tea set by Matteo Thun to a 1986 “Big Sur” sofa by Peter Shire. The article features a big pic of Peter Shire’s iconic sofa. Peter is one of the original awesome guys of the LA art world. He has kept a studio in Echo Park for years, and he has a holiday open house where you can buy some of his smaller objects. His studio website seems down, but here’s his feed: https://www.instagram.com/petershire/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/petershire/?hl=en, and some pictures from his studio: http://www.yoshimakino.us/work/artist-visit-2/ http://www.yoshimakino.us/work/artist-visit-2/

Tepix 7y ago

The title was altered from the original article. Unfortunately, the new title features the wrong apostrophe character (a left single quotation mark was used instead of the correct right single quotation mark). So it’s »‘« instead of »’«.

jedimastert 7y ago
Also, why use directional quotation marks at all? I don't see the need here

alex_young 7y ago

This style is still alive and well in Milano - on a recent trip to La Rinascente (a shopping mall) I noticed a new edition of the record player listed here. I also noticed no indication of price, and correctly assumed it was out of the sane spectrum - https://www.brionvega.it/en/products/radiofonografo/radiofonografo-rr226-o.html https://www.brionvega.it/en/products/radiofonografo/radiofon...

cpach 7y ago
That’s awesome! Feel free to post some more links (or mail me), I’m very fascinated by Italian design.

jermaustin1 7y ago

These pieces of furniture remind me of all of my childhood clothes. My parents dressed me almost exclusively in Bugle Boy from 1988 to 1995. I thought I was rid of this nightmare.

cbm-vic-20 7y ago
"Excuse me, are those Bugle Boy Jeans you're wearing?"
- ubertakter 7y ago
  Forgive the tangent: ... I once had a pair of bugle boy pants and I wore them into a gas station and this story has nothing to do with waffles but the lady at the gas station said, "By any chance are those bugle boy pants you're wearing?" and I said "Why yes they are" And that's the real story of this song You gotta wear pants to get waffles You gotta wear pants to get waffles they said no shoes, no service but if you don't wear pants you'll get thrown out on your ass (From my band's song "Waffles"... no good recordings of it exist though)
rkachowski 7y ago
I also find this style awful and nightmarish. I can only assume it developed as some kind of cultural reaction to the situations at the time, because it seems so damningly unattractive to me. Of course this is my super subjective opinion and I'm sure there's a perfectly acceptable way to appreciate it - but the sheer contrasts and color clashing remind me of the smell of dust and mediocre LP covers bleached pale from sunlight.

bschne 7y ago

Looking at some of Ettore Sottsass' earlier industrial design work he did for Olivetti (e.g. the Valentine typewriter or the Divisumma calculator), and then at his Memphis Milano stuff, it almost seems like he woke up one day a bit bored and decided to go completely nuts from now on. Not sure it's true bot I recall reading somewhere that the goal with Memphis Milano was to apply the colors and forms of abstract painting to furniture design. The Carlton bookcase is... quite something.