Memphis must-have

One of the most iconic pieces of the Memphis Design Movement, Ettore Sottsass’s Carlton Room Divider is going under the hammer in Cape Town next week. This less than a month after Li Edelkoort wrote about the Memphis revival trend in our DIY Deluxe edition of VISI magazine.

The influential Italian-based Memphis Design Movement, whose colourful stacked geometric shapes were the epitome of unconventional 1980s design, is experiencing an international revival, according to trend forecaster Li Edelkoort. Here on South African soil, collectors have the opportunity to purchase one of the Memphis Group’s most iconic pieces – an original Carlton Room Divider – at the upcoming Stephan Welz & Co Decor and Fine Arts Auction in Cape Town on Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 February.

Also known as the Carlton Cabinet or Bookcase, the Carlton Room Divider is valued at between R160 000 and R180 000, and is “a serious piece of Memphis design, epitomising all that the group stood for,” according to Anton Welz, Stephan Welz & Co managing director and furniture specialist. 

The Memphis movement was started in Italy in 1981 by Etore Sottsass with its focus on post-modern furniture, fabrics, ceramics, glass and metal objects, and comprised designers from a number of countries. The approach was kitsch and almost “anti design”.  It was a protest against the plain and humourless design of the 1970s and used cheap materials such as plastic laminates in bold and bright colours. The name Memphis was inspired by the Bob Dylan song Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again, which was played repeatedly during the evening when the group first met. The group was dismantled by Sottsass in 1988; however, the items designed as a protest against dull design have become classics in their own right, and are now highly collectable.

“Sales of Memphis originals have been strong in the past year, and we are always thrilled when these fun and quirky pieces, which are rapidly increasing in value, come our way, mostly from collectors who have lived overseas,” says Anton. 

Worldwide, Memphis is influencing designers, from fashion to textiles to home decor and furnishings. The geometric black, white and candy tones of Memphis are the natural stuff of inspiration for South African designers, according to trend forecaster Li Edelkoort, who is curating an exhibition on Memphis-inspired local designs at this year’s Design Indaba Expo (1 to 3 March), in Cape Town. In a piece published in the current “DIY Deluxe” edition of VISI magazine, Li talks about the liberation of South African design and its kinship with Memphis, with similarities between our township colours and the Italian 1980s colour palette, as well as “the stacking and layering of colour and materials, which delivers a totemic quality”. 

“One of the most iconic design objects ever is the Carlton Cabinet by Sottsass,” wrote Li. “It looks and acts like a totem with a strange African vibe, stretching out its arms to the world… The idea of stacking, storing, building and constructing new African totems is emerging; the world is looking to Africa to be inspired.” 

Other design highlights to be auctioned include rare books on South African architecture, as well as a distinguished collection of international street art by the likes of Faith47, Mr Brainwash and Shephard Fairey. 

The Stephan Welz & Co Decorative and Fine Arts Auction will take place Tuesday 19 February and Wednesday 20 February at The Great Cellar, Alphen Estate, Alphen Drive, Constantia.

Pre-auction viewing open to the public at no charge, on 15 February from 10am to 3pm, and 16 to 17 February, 10am to 5pm.

For more information: 021 794 6461, ct@stephanwelzandco.co.za, www.swelco.co.za