Memphis Design

Memphis  by Barbara Radice. Rizzolo International Publications, 1984. Hardcover, clear acid-free mylar dust jacket. 207 pages. Excellent condition, minor wear on dust jacket. 

Tracking the emergence of the New Design group out of Milan in 1981, Memphis offers a colorful and detailed history of the artists and objects that propelled this innovative movement into the public sphere. An undefinable mix of Miami Art Deco, Dada, kitsch and the absurd, Memphis was a completely original, unique and playful take on design, combining art and function with a generous dose of pizazz. Memphis the book combines sketches, drawings, and photographs (many of them previously unreleased) with essays that truly capture the energy of this radical group of designers. 

From the Introduction:

"This nice big book exists and will go out into the world, and students may not be able to buy it because it'll cost a lot, but they'll find it somewhere and they'll be able to look at it somehow, and those who can afford it will put it on the table and it'll stay there for  awhile. And for a while here and there on the planet people will talk about the book, and then the book will go onto the shelves of elegant bookcases."

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