Anti-Design & Radical Design

Anti-Design was a design flow and style art movement originating in Italy and lasting from the years 1966-1980. Anti-Design characterised by idealism and irony and emphasized striking colours, scale distortion and kitsch. In architecture this was also known as the Radical Design period.

Ettore Sottsass was a key to the Anti-Design movement. Ettore became a prominent member of the Radical Design movement during the 1960s and 1970s.  His bold and decorative designs which he produced in Memphis paved the way for the Post-Modern designs. He was an advocate of Post Modernism.

This would have certainly meant consumerism and profits if people keep buying and spend money, but the message was different. Anti-Designers wanted people to think about the objects they were buying, even if they ultimately threw these objects away.

The Modernist palette was generally minimalistic as in colours, simple and durable materials. In contrast, Anti-Design explored rich variety of colours, decorative elements and materials.

Last but not least, Modernism believed in the principle of ‘form follows function’, while Anti-Design used the expressive potential of kitsch, irony and distortion of scale. Although, Anti-Design ended in 1980, it still continues to influence contemporary designers today.

Influenced by Anti-Design

The Anti-Design Studios

Superstudio was founded in Florence in 1966 by Adolfo Natalini and Cristiano Toraldo di Francia. Torelado  di Francia wrote: “ It is the designer who must attempt to re-evaluate his role in the nightmare he has helped to conceive.”

Archizoom was founded in 1966 in Florence by Andrea Branzi. Brani: ‘The real revolution in radical architecture is the revolution of kitsch: mass cultural consumption, pop art and an industrial-commercial language. There is no idea of radicalizing the industrial component of modern architecture to the extreme.’

Studio Alchymia was founded by Alessandro Guerriero in 1976. ‘Alchymia’ means alchemy, the pseudo-scientific practice that tried to turn base metal into gold.

Memphis was founded by Ettore Sottsass in 1981. The name is a reference to Memphis, Tennessee and the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis. It was also said that the name Memphis was inspired by the Bob Dylan song Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again.

Casa Blanca 1981 - Ettore Sottsass

Armchair, 1982 - Peter Shire

Sottsass: “it is no coincidence that the people who work for Memphis don’t pursue a metaphysic aesthetic idea or an absolute of any kind, much less eternity. Today everything one does is consumed. It is dedicated to life, not to eternity.”

References:

• Toronto, N/A. Anti-Design [online] available at: http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/antidesign/

• Italian Design Lab, 2014. Anti-Design and Radical Design [online] available at: http://italiandesignlab.net/anti-design-and-radical-design/