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Memphis Design

Wright to auction noted Memphis design collection Oct. 3

Tom Hoepf
Tom Hoepf
Memphis Design
A portion of the Zanone Collection of Memphis Design that will be sold Oct. 3 by Wright. Image courtesy of Dennis Zanone

CHICAGO – Wright will present Memphis Design: The Zanone Collection at auction Oct. 3. One of the largest and earliest known collections of Memphis, this incredible group has been extensively researched and was the basis of a 2014 Memphis exhibition at the Dixon Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.  A radical design collective, Memphis created bold functional works that had a lasting impact. The designs and aesthetic were revolutionary, and Memphis pieces found their way onto movie sets and into the homes of forward-thinking, daring and creative minds such as David Bowie and Karl Lagerfeld, whose landmark collections captured the attention of collectors around the globe. Today, Memphis designs are celebrated icons.

Memphis Design
Ettore Sottsass, Max bookcase, est. $10,000-$15,000. Image courtesy of Dennis Zanone

Dennis Zanone, a professional photographer from Tennessee, has long championed the work of Memphis. Over the years he assembled a large and comprehensive collection of Memphis design.

Memphis Design
Masanori Umeda, Ginza Robot cabinet, est. $6,000-$8,000. Image courtesy of Dennis Zanone

Memphis was founded in the early 1980s by Ettore Sottsass and was comprised of several notable designers: Masanori Umeda, Shiro Kuramata, Andrea Branzi, Nathalie du Pasquier, Michele de Lucchi, Peter Shire, Marco Zanini, Martine Bedine, George Sowden, Michael Graves, Hans Hollein, Matteo Thun, Marco Zanuso, Thomas Bley, Barbara Radice, Aldo Cibic, Massimo Iosa Ghini, Gerard Taylor, Javier Mariscal, Beppe Caturegli and Ernesto Gismondi.

Memphis Design
Peter Shire, Bel Air chair, est. $3,000-$5,000. Image courtesy of Dennis Zanone

Highlights of the Zanone collection include:

– A Peter Shire-designed Bel Air chair, est. $3,000-$5,000.

– A Masanori Umeda-designed Ginza Robot cabinet, est. $6,000-$8,000.

– An Ettore Sottsass-designed Max bookcase, est. $10,000-$15,000.

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