Oceanic Table Lamp USA 110 Volts, by Michele De Lucchi for Memphis Milano Collec
About the Item
- Creator:
- Dimensions:Height: 29.53 in (75 cm)Width: 37.8 in (96 cm)Depth: 4.73 in (12 cm)
- Style:Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Contemporary
- Production Type:New & Custom(Current Production)
- Estimated Production Time:2-3 weeks
- Condition:
- Seller Location:La Morra, IT
- Reference Number:
Memphis Group
To many people, postmodern design is synonymous with the Memphis Group. This Italian collaborative created the most radical and attention-getting designs of the period, upending most of the accepted standards of how furniture should look.
The Memphis story begins in 1980, when Ettore Sottsass, then a beacon of Italian postmodernism, tapped a coterie of younger designers to develop a collection for the Milan Furniture Fair the next year, determined that all the new furniture they were then seeing was boring. Their mission: Boldly reject the stark minimalism of the 1970s and shatter the rules of form and function. (Sottsass’s Ultrafragola mirror, designed in 1970, embodied many of what would become the collective’s postmodern ideals.)
The group decided to design, produce and market their own collection, one that wouldn’t be restricted by concerns like functionality and so-called good taste. Its debut, at Milan’s 1981 Salone del Mobile, drew thousands of viewers and caused a major stir in design circles.
So as a record of Bob Dylan’s “Stuck Inside of Mobile” played on repeat, they took their name from the song, devised their marketing strategy and plotted the postmodern look that would come to define the decade of excess — primary colors, blown-up proportions, playful nods to Art Deco and Pop art. A high-low mix of materials also helped define Memphis, as evidenced by Javier Mariscal’s pastel serving trays, which feature laminate veneer — a material previously used only in kitchens — as well as Shiro Kuramata’s Nara and Kyoto tables made from colored glass-infused terrazzo.
An image of Sottsass posing with his collaborators in a conversation pit shaped like a boxing ring appeared in magazines all over the world, and Karl Lagerfield furnished his Monte Carlo penthouse entirely in Memphis furniture. Meanwhile, members like Andrea Branzi, Aldo Cibic, Michele de Lucchi, Nathalie du Pasquier, Kuramata, Paola Navone, Peter Shire, George Sowden, Sottsass and his wife, journalist Barbara Radice, went on to enjoy fruitful careers.
Some people think of the Milan-based collective as the design equivalent to Patrick Nagel’s kitschy screenprints, but for others Memphis represents what made the early 1980s so great: freedom of expression, dizzying patterns and off-the-wall colors.
Eventually, the Reagan era gave way to cool 1990s minimalism, and Memphis fell out of fashion. Sottsass left the group in 1985, and by 1987, it had disbanded. Yet decades later, Memphis is back and can be traced to today’s most exciting designers.
“As someone who was born in the 1980s, Memphis at times feels like the grown-up, artsy version of the toys I used to play with,” says Shaun Kasperbauer, cofounder of the Brooklyn studio Souda. “It feels a little nostalgic, but at the same time it seems like an aesthetic that’s perfectly suited to an internet age — loud, colorful and utilizing forms that are graphic and often a little unexpected.”
Find a collection of vintage Memphis Group seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Memphis Milano
To many people, postmodern design is synonymous with the Memphis Group. This Italian collaborative created the most radical and attention-getting designs of the period, upending most of the accepted standards of how furniture should look. Today, the Memphis Milano brand, which is managed by Alberto Bianchi Albrici, still produces designs created by the group between 1981 and 1988.
The Memphis story begins in 1980, when Ettore Sottsass, then a beacon of Italian postmodernism, tapped a coterie of younger designers to develop a collection for the Milan Furniture Fair the next year, determined that all the new furniture they were then seeing was boring. Their mission: Boldly reject the stark minimalism of the 1970s and shatter the rules of form and function. (Sottsass’s Ultrafragola mirror, designed in 1970, embodied many of what would become the collective’s postmodern ideals.)
The group decided to design, produce and market their own collection, one that wouldn’t be restricted by concerns like functionality and so-called good taste. Its debut, at Milan’s 1981 Salone del Mobile, drew thousands of viewers and caused a major stir in design circles.
So as a record of Bob Dylan’s “Stuck Inside of Mobile” played on repeat, they took their name from the song, devised their marketing strategy and plotted the postmodern look that would come to define the decade of excess — primary colors, blown-up proportions, playful nods to Art Deco and Pop art. A high-low mix of materials also helped define Memphis, as evidenced by Javier Mariscal’s pastel serving trays, which feature laminate veneer — a material previously used only in kitchens — as well as Shiro Kuramata’s Nara and Kyoto tables made from colored glass-infused terrazzo.
An image of Sottsass posing with his collaborators in a conversation pit shaped like a boxing ring appeared in magazines all over the world, and Karl Lagerfield furnished his Monte Carlo penthouse entirely in Memphis furniture. Meanwhile, members like Andrea Branzi, Aldo Cibic, Michele de Lucchi, Nathalie du Pasquier, Kuramata, Paola Navone, Peter Shire, George Sowden, Sottsass and his wife, journalist Barbara Radice, went on to enjoy fruitful careers.
Some people think of the Milan-based collective as the design equivalent to Patrick Nagel’s kitschy screenprints, but for others Memphis represents what made the early 1980s so great: freedom of expression, dizzying patterns and off-the-wall colors.
Eventually, the Reagan era gave way to cool 1990s minimalism, and Memphis fell out of fashion. Sottsass left the group in 1985, and by 1987, it had disbanded. Yet decades later, Memphis is back and can be traced to today’s most exciting designers.
“As someone who was born in the 1980s, Memphis at times feels like the grown-up, artsy version of the toys I used to play with,” says Shaun Kasperbauer, cofounder of the Brooklyn studio Souda. “It feels a little nostalgic, but at the same time it seems like an aesthetic that’s perfectly suited to an internet age — loud, colorful and utilizing forms that are graphic and often a little unexpected.”
Find a collection of Memphis Milano seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: La Morra, Italy
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Oceanic Table Lamp 'EU' 220 Volts, by Michele De Lucchi from Memphis, MilanoBy Memphis Group, Michele de Lucchi, Memphis MilanoLocated in La Morra, CuneoHere you are shown the EU wired, oceanic table lamp made in metal and glass, designed in 1981, by Michele De Lucchi. US version 110v also available ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Treetops Floor Lamp USA 110 Volts, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano CollectBy Memphis Group, Memphis Milano, Ettore SottsassLocated in La Morra, CuneoHere you are shown the US wired "Treetops" floor lamp designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1981 in metal with halogen bulb. Ettore Sottsass was born in Innsbruck in 1917. In 1939 he graduated in architecture at the Politecnico di Torino. One of the most influential and important figures of the last century. As an Architect and Designer, he has participated in all radical movements whether created from the 1970s and 1980s. In 1981 he founded the Memphis group, a group that has radically changed the scenario of Italian and world design. Honored with numerous international awards, was winner of the Golden Compass in 1959. He designed the first laptop "Valentina" by Olivetti. He died in 2007 at the age of 90 years. Memphis Milano is the great cultural phenomenon of the 1980s that revolutionized creative and commercial logics in design. Born from the idea of Ettore Sottsass and a group of young designers and architects, in Milan, coupled in the years by famous designers from the international scene, Memphis turned upside down all of the existing parameters on living. Ettore Sottsass as the backbone of the group, design gained a new concept and expression through new shapes, materials and patterns, expanding the creative limits of the industry. Memphis became a symbol of New Design. Its influence is still clear in various sectors of production and beyond. Additional Info: - Dimensions: H 76.75 inches, Base W. 10.75 inches, D. 40.25 inches. - Materials: Metal. - Color options: Available in yellow fixture, orange stem, turquoise knob and mint green base; or in an orange fixture...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Terminus Floor Lamp 'US 110 Volts', by Martine Bedin from Memphis MilanoBy Memphis Milano, Memphis Group, Martine BedinLocated in La Morra, CuneoHere you are shown the US wired, Terminus floor lamp with Structure in painted sheet steel. One bulb 12V, 50W., designed in 1981, by Martine Bedin. Martine Bedin is an industrial d...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsSteel
- Ashoka Metal Table Lamp USA 110 Volts, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano C.By Memphis Group, Memphis Milano, Ettore SottsassLocated in La Morra, CuneoHere you are shown the US wired, Ashoka Table Lamp in lacquered metal, designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1981 for Memphis Milano. Ettore Sottsass was born in Innsbruck in 1917. In 1939 he graduated in architecture at the Politecnico di Torino. One of the most influential and important figures of the last century. As an Architect and Designer, he has participated in all radical movements whether created from the 1970s and 1980s. In 1981 he founded the Memphis group, a group that has radically changed the scenario of Italian and world design. Honored with numerous international awards, was winner of the Golden Compass in 1959. He designed the first laptop "Valentina" by Olivetti. He died in 2007 at the age of 90 years. Memphis Milano is the great cultural phenomenon of the 1980s that revolutionized creative and commercial logics in design. Born from the idea of Ettore Sottsass and a group of young designers and architects, in Milan, coupled in the years by famous designers from the international scene, Memphis turned upside down all of the existing parameters on living. Ettore Sottsass as the backbone of the group, design gained a new concept and expression through new shapes, materials and patterns, expanding the creative limits of the industry. Memphis became a symbol of New Design. Its influence is still clear in various sectors of production and beyond. Additional Info: - Dimensions: W 29, D 5, H 35.5 inches - Lighting Info: 1 X 50 W, 12 V - 5 X 40W. (E14) - Materials: Lacquered metal. - Additional Lighting Info: Please note that this item is wired in 110 V for the standard US light socket. - Price includes additional US rewiring cost for accessibility with US outlets. - If you are interested in the EU version of this light, please refer to the dealers storefront for the (EU) wired light fixture...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Piccadilly Table Lamp USA 110 Volts, by Gerard Taylor for Memphis Milano CollectBy Memphis Milano, Gerard Taylor, Memphis GroupLocated in La Morra, CuneoHere you are shown the US wired, Piccadilly Table Lamp made in metal and plastic laminate, designed in 1982, by Gerard Taylor. Gerard Taylor gr...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Bay Table Lamp USA, 110 Volts, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano CollectionBy Memphis Group, Memphis Milano, Ettore SottsassLocated in La Morra, CuneoHere you are shown the US wired, Bay Table Lamp in glass, aluminum and plexiglass, designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1983 for Memphis Milano. Ettore Sotts...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsAluminum
- Michele de Lucchi Oceanic Memphis Milano PostmodernBy Michele de Lucchi, Memphis GroupLocated in Shibuya-ku, TokyoMichele de Lucchi's oceanic lamp. Materpiece of 1980s design.Category
Vintage 1980s European Post-Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Post Modern Memphis Milano, 1980s Oceanic Table Lamp by Michele de LucchiBy Michele de Lucchi, Memphis GroupLocated in Renens, CHAuthentic vintage Oceanic table lamp by Italian architect Michele de Lucchi for the Memphis movement in the early 1980s. De Lucchi was one of the co...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Firmamento Milano Small Equilibrio Table Lamp by Michele De LucchiBy Firmamento Milano, Michele de LucchiLocated in Milano, LombardiaPlease note that VAT is not included in the price. The only way to deceive gravity is balance” MDL Table lamp in two sizes distinguished by the opaline blown glass diffuser that see...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsSteel
- Firmamento Milano Medium Equilibrio Table Lamp by Michele De LucchiBy Firmamento Milano, Michele de LucchiLocated in Milano, LombardiaPlease note that VAT is not included in the price. The only way to deceive gravity is balance” MDL Table lamp in two sizes distinguished by the opaline blown glass diffuser that see...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsSteel
- Vintage 'Oceanic' Table Lamp by Michele de Lucchi made by Memphis MilanoBy Michele de LucchiLocated in LOS ANGELES, CAThis striking table lamp is a postmodernist work of art designed by Michele De Lucchi in 1981. It is made of tubular metal adorned with polychromatic paint that combines a black and ...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Michele De Lucchi 'Dioscuri 25' Table Lamp for ArtemideBy Artemide, Michele de LucchiLocated in Glendale, CAMichele De Lucchi 'Dioscuri 25' table lamp for Artemide. 'Dioscuri' is a timeless fixture that diffuses a heavenly light. This multipurpose lamp features a minimalistic design that...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsSteel