Drawing For Interior 1 Poster – / Screen Printing By George J. Sowden, 1983 – Limited Edition, Signed – Memphis Milano

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: prolifically exuberant motifs, explosive colours, intrepid asymmetries, geometric forms stacked like totems, use of plastic laminate previously dismissed as “cheap” combined with noble materials (marble, burr walnut), etc. 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. This black and white screen print on paper was designed in 1983 by George J. Sowden, one of the founding members of the legendary Memphis group. This is a limited edition run of 99 units, numbered and signed by the artist. The “Drawing for Interior” series includes three screen prints, depicting rooms furnished in the purest form of Memphis style. We can spot certain iconic furniture pieces created by Sowden: the Pierre table, the Palace armchair, the Cabinet d’Antibes cabinet… The profusion of motley motifs boosts the expressive energy of these dreamlike interiors.