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

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.