Memphis Milano Wall light with plug Pink/Yellow Plastic material/Wood.
Dimensions: L 60 x H 60 cm x Depth 12 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 Negresco wall light was designed in 1981 by French
architect and designer Martine Bedin. Almost like a lightbox, the Negresco wall
light is named after the Le Negresco hotel in Nice. You could say this is an
object of many talents, serving as a piece of art, a wall light and a decorative
panel all at once. Made from wooden and laminate plastic, Negresco brings a
daring colour combination to any space: yellow, pink, black. A slanted, glass
neon tube light is built into the frame. The designer, Martine Bedin, explains
that the Negresco resembles a pistachio and strawberry dessert. This wall light
has a cable with mains power plug. The prototype for Negresco can be found in
the permanent collection of the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
