Michele de Lucchi Burgundy Writing Dining Table For Memphis Milano Italy, 1985
About the Item
- Creator:Memphis Group (Manufacturer),Michele de Lucchi (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.74 in (73 cm)Width: 61 in (154.94 cm)Depth: 41.3 in (104.91 cm)
- Style:Post-Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1980-1989
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1985
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. It's in good vintage condition with some wear and scratches and minimal damages to the formica.
- Seller Location:Vienna, AT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU993523871432
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Vienna, Austria
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 10 days of delivery.
- First Chair by Michele de Lucchi for MemphisBy Michele de Lucchi, Memphis GroupLocated in Vienna, ATIconic "First Chair" designed by Michelle de Lucchi for Memphis Milano 1983 in good condition, some scratches to the seat.Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Writing Table or Desk in Teak Veneer Wood, ItalyBy Gianfranco FrattiniLocated in Vienna, ATWriting desk, teak and veneer with many drawers, Italy, circa 1970 Dimensions are: 41.3" x 23.62 x 37.8". Perfectly sized desk with 2 large and 4 small drawers. It’s in style or mi...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsHardwood
- Fratelli Proserpio Writing Table Teak Desk by, Italy, Mid-CenturyBy Fratelli ProsperioLocated in Vienna, ATTeak rollup secretary desk by Fratelli Proserpio, Italy 1960's. Modernist compact writing desk, perfectly sized and in good vintage condition. It shows a unique mechanism that opens as you pull out the writing surface. The interior cabinet has a small shelf for Laptop, Ipad and paper and 2 small drawers (solid wood) for pens and small stuff. It's fully comprised of solid wood (teak). Overall in good condition with no major flaws, cracks or losses, the mechanic...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsTeak, Hardwood
- Johanna Grawunder Illuminated Dining Table by for Post-Design, 2001By Johanna GrawunderLocated in Vienna, ATVery rare dining table (Wicked 64) by Johanna Grawunder for Post-Design Milan, 2001. Dimensions are 31.1" x 63" x 30" New York based designer/architect and former partner of Ettore Sottsass, Johanna Grawunder, designed this piece for her Lowrider collection very much in the spirit of the Italian Avant Garde. It's fully coated with rubber with a leather-ish smooth touch. The glass table top can be illuminated which casts a fairly mystical glow...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsSteel
- Memphis Style Wire Mesh Grid Lucite Table Lamps Post-Modern, ItalyBy Memphis GroupLocated in Vienna, ATPair of Wire Mesh Grid Lucite Table lamps Post-modern, Italy around 1980 sold as a pair Up for consideration is this post-modern pair of table lamps comprised of a metal grid mesh and a bent slab of translucent lucite. It casts a very subtle light. A very sculptural light in very good condition with hardly any signs of wear. Some minimal superficial scratches hardly noticeable. These lights cast an amazing light and are equipped with neon bulbs...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- George Nelson for Herman Miller Pedestal Dining Table Desk, 1960By Herman Miller, George NelsonLocated in Vienna, ATUnusual original dining or desk table by George Nelson for Herman Miller, mid century Dimensions are 72.04" x 40.15" x 28.15" (height) This dining table was designed by George Nels...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsAluminum
- Fortune Side Table, by Michele De Lucchi for Memphis Milano CollectionBy Memphis Milano, Michele de Lucchi, Memphis GroupLocated in La Morra, CuneoFortune Side table in plastic laminate, lacquered wood and glass. Designed in 1982, by Michele De Lucchi. Michele De Lucchi was born in 1951 in Ferrara and graduated in architectur...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Tables
MaterialsWood, Plastic
- Kristall End Table, by Michele De Lucchi for Memphis Milano CollectionBy Michele de Lucchi, Memphis Milano, Memphis GroupLocated in La Morra, CuneoKristall end table in plastic laminate, lacquered wood and metal. Designed in 1981, by Michele De Lucchi for Memphis Milano. Michele De Lucchi was born in 1951 in Ferrara and gradu...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern End Tables
MaterialsPlastic, Wood
- Flamingo Bedside Table, by Michele De Lucchi for Memphis Milano CollectionBy Memphis Group, Michele de Lucchi, Memphis MilanoLocated in La Morra, CuneoFlamingo bedside table in laminated wood and plastic, designed in 1984 by Michele De Lucchi. Michele De Lucchi was born in 1951 in Ferrara and graduated in architecture in Florence. During the period of radical and experimental architecture he was a prominent figure in movements like Cavart, Alchymia and Memphis. His architectural designs have been mainly for office buildings in Japan, in Germany, in Switzerland and in Italy. He has taken care of numerous art and design exhibitions and has planned buildings for museums as Triennale di Milano, Palazzo delle Esposizioni di Roma and Neues Museum...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Tables
MaterialsWood, Plastic
- Polar Side Table, by Michele De Lucchi for Memphis Milano CollectionBy Memphis Group, Memphis Milano, Michele de LucchiLocated in La Morra, CuneoThe Polar side table was originally designed by Michele De Lucchi in 1984 for Memphis Milano. It is made out of plastic laminate and lacquered wood. ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tables
MaterialsPlastic
- Continental Wood Side Table, by Michele De Lucchi for Memphis Milano CollectionBy Memphis Milano, Michele de Lucchi, Memphis GroupLocated in La Morra, CuneoContinental side table designed in 1984 for Memphis, in laminated wood and plastic. Michele De Lucchi was born in 1951 in Ferrara and graduated...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Tables
MaterialsWood, Plastic
- FLAMINGO Side Table by Michele De Lucchi for Memphis MilanoBy Michele de LucchiLocated in Brooklyn, NYMichele De Lucchi was a principal member of the Italian radical groups Alchymia and Memphis. This elegant table, created for Memphis in 1984, is one of a series of four which use ...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Side Tables
MaterialsSteel