Memphis Milano

Wall light with plug Negresco plastic material wood / By Martine Bedin, 1981 - 60 x 60 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 wood 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.

In detail:

• Variation : Yellow, pink & black

• Brand : Memphis Milano

• Designer : Martine Bedin

• Type : Wall light with plug

• Colour : Black - Pink - Yellow

• Material : Wood and plastic laminate with alternated colour layers - Glass neon tube

• Dimensions : L 60 x H 60 cm x Depth 12 cm
• Weight : 26.4 lb
• Characteristics : Original Memphis model designed in 1981 (Memphis Milano collection 1981-1988) - Each unit bears the "Memphis" seal and comes with a certificate of authenticity, also bearing the seal - Wall light fitted with a cable and a mains power plug Light source included: neon light tube built into frame - Supplied with EU plug: EU to UK plug adapter included
• Country of Manufacture : Italy