Their style was inspired by Art Deco and Pop Art styles, which were popular at the time. Memphis were well-known for their use of bright colours, geometric shapes and bold patterns.

What are the characteristics of Memphis?

The Memphis style is identified by a few key characteristics:

• A flat, vectorized style that is often accented with bright, saturated color choices.
• Geometric shapes are the primary art element and few actual photos are used.

What words have been used to describe the Memphis style?

Memphis’ colorful furniture has been described as “bizarre”, “misunderstood”, “loathed”, and “a shotgun wedding between Bauhaus and Fisher-Price”.

Why is it called Memphis Style?

Designer Ettore Sottsass founded the Memphis Group with other designers and architects. They took their name from a Bob Dylan song titled Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again which was played on repeat during their first meeting.

What kind of design is the Memphis style?

The Memphis Style is one of the most instantly recognisable design styles. It’s known for its use of bright neon, primary and pastel colors, geometric shapes, and bold, repetitive patterns.

What are the characteristics of the Memphis movement?

The Memphis movement was a reaction to 1970s minimalist design concepts, which were seen by the group as humorless, colorless and devoid of individualism and personality. In contrast to the prevailing design concept, the group designed products that were colorful, bright and often shocking.

Is the Memphis design style Dead or Alive?

Like all design trends, however, Memphis is never truly ‘dead’. Instead, it informs and inspires a wide range of new designs. Anywhere that employs lots of spherical shapes, pop art palettes and bold patterns may be inspired by the style. To use the style in your home, you can experiment with bold patterns on wall coverings.

Why was the Memphis style considered bad taste?

The group’s use of conventionally ‘bad-taste’ plastic laminate and clashing colors didn’t resonate with the more widely accepted design standards of the time. However, we can now reflect on the designs created by the Memphis Group and recognise that they were groundbreaking.