Memphis Milano Rug Multicoloured Textile. Dimensions: 250 × 180 cm. The
„Memphis Milano“ catalogue includes icons designed by the famous Memphis
collective between 1981 and 1988. True works of art, these collector's items
revolutionised the creative and commercial logic of design in the 80s. Founded
in Milan in 1981 by Ettore Sottsass, the Memphis group brought together
international architects and designers such as Michele De Lucchi, Matteo Thun,
Martine Bedin, Nathalie Du Pasquier, Shiro Kuramata, George J. Sowden… A true
cultural phenomenon, Memphis really shook up the design codes by voluntarily
stepping outside of the lines of „good taste“ of the time. It was out with
the pure, hard functionalism and austerity Bauhaus-style, and in came fantasy
with colourful and eccentric creations. The first Memphis collection landed in
the design world like a bombshell: a proliferation of exuberant patterns,
explosive colours, intrepid asymmetries, geometric shapes stacked up like
totems, new use of plastic laminate considered „cheap“ until then… Soon,
Memphis became THE subversive label of Italian design with its wacky, colourful
world inspired by comics, Pop Art, cinema, Kitsch and Art Deco. It was a
revolution: design, until then confined to the showrooms, invaded the media and
inflamed passion. Considered symbols of Anti-design and New Design, the Memphis
creations are above all the manifestation of an unlimited creativity which
breaks free of the constraints dictated by industry and the law of the market.
Within the confines of design, architecture, art and post-modernism, these
exceptional pieces are now sought after by collectors around the world and
exhibited in the most prestigious museums. More than 20 years after the end of
the movement, the „Memphis Milano“ company continues to produce around fifty
hand-crafted historical pieces designed by Memphis between 1981 and
1988. These original models are collector's items all bearing the
„Memphis“ seal, a guarantee of authenticity. In addition, each piece has its
own paper certificate of authenticity, itself bearing the „Memphis“ seal.
Some models bear the designer's signature. The Arizona rug was designed by
Nathalie Du Pasquier in 1983. This famous plastic artist is one of the founding
members of the Memphis collective, created in the 1980s. During these years, she
designed numerous textiles, rugs, objects and items of furniture, as well as
motifs for the furniture of other designers in the group. From her travels in
Africa and Asia, which she undertook at the end of the 1970s, this striking
style resulted which would permeate the Memphis creations. We can immediately
recognise Nathalie Du Pasquier's style: an explosive, harmonious mix of
exuberant patterns and vibrant colours. A world that evokes travel, African
waxes with a quirky rockstar touch. His work bears the geometric, colourful,
daring imprint of the Memphis movement. The creative force of the Arizona rug
certainly makes its mark on a space and defines it.The woollen Arizona rug is
hand-made by various Nepalese artisans. The long production process starts with
shearing traditionally-raised sheep. The wool is then spun and dyed, and the
wool fibres are carefully selected and then washed. The knotting technique used
by the artisans is called Tibetan „Senneh“, different from any Persian and
Turkish methods. As the rug is hand-made, there may be slight variations in its
dimensions from one rug to the next.
