The Modern Archive
A Memphis Group design hub for collecting, exploring and learning about the ’80s Italian movement
Building on the mid-century modern movement that included architecture and design greats like Eero Saarinen, Charles and Ray Eames and Arne Jacobsen, the Memphis Group of the 1980s sought to inject avant-garde into design. The Milan-based movement brought irreverent color, asymmetry and pop art-inspired imagery to their creations, and the newly launched digital gallery The Modern Archive is a comprehensive resource for information about the group’s body of work. Selling limited edition, rare and current production runs mostly from the Memphis Group, The Modern Archive also features bi-monthly in-depth exhibitions featuring the work of notable designers.
Founded by Lorry Parks Dudley—one of the first American distributors of the work—the site is equal parts resource and retail. While researching a piece for sale, Dudley found there was no singular comprehensive home for information about Memphis Group works. This inspired him to make sure that—along with essays, original photography and interviews—one of the site’s major focuses is on telling the story behind the designs.
Purchase everything from Vitra Design Museum’s miniatures to rare books at The Modern Archive and explore their current digital exhibition of the works of Albert Paley.
Images courtesy of The Modern Archive
