Postmodern design was a short-lived movement that manifested itself chiefly in Italy and the United States in the early 1980s. The characteristics of vintage postmodern furniture and other postmodern objects and decor for the home included loud-patterned, usually plastic surfaces; strange proportions, vibrant colors and weird angles; and a vague-at-best relationship between form and function.
ORIGINS OF POSTMODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF POSTMODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
POSTMODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
VINTAGE POSTMODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
Critics derided postmodern design as a grandstanding bid for attention and nothing of consequence. Decades later, the fact that postmodernism still has the power to provoke thoughts, along with other reactions, proves they were not entirely correct.
Postmodern design began as an architectural critique. Starting in the 1960s, a small cadre of mainly American architects began to argue that modernism, once high-minded and even noble in its goals, had become stale, stagnant and blandly corporate. Later, in Milan, a cohort of creators led by Ettore Sottsass and Alessandro Mendini — a onetime mentor to Sottsass and a key figure in the Italian Radical movement — brought the discussion to bear on design.
Sottsass, an industrial designer, philosopher and provocateur, gathered a core group of young designers into a collective in 1980 they called Memphis. Members of the Memphis Group, which would come to include Martine Bedin, Michael Graves, Marco Zanini, Shiro Kuramata, Michele de Lucchi and Matteo Thun, saw design as a means of communication, and they wanted it to shout. That it did: The first Memphis collection appeared in 1981 in Milan and broke all the modernist taboos, embracing irony, kitsch, wild ornamentation and bad taste.
Memphis works remain icons of postmodernism: the Sottsass Casablanca bookcase, with its leopard-print plastic veneer; de Lucchi’s First chair, which has been described as having the look of an electronics component; Martine Bedin’s Super lamp: a pull-toy puppy on a power-cord leash. Even though it preceded the Memphis Group’s formal launch, Sottsass’s iconic Ultrafragola mirror — in its conspicuously curved plastic shell with radical pops of pink neon — proves striking in any space and embodies many of the collective’s postmodern ideals.
After the initial Memphis show caused an uproar, the postmodern movement within furniture and interior design quickly took off in America. (Memphis fell out of fashion when the Reagan era gave way to cool 1990’s minimalism.) The architect Robert Venturi had by then already begun a series of plywood chairs for Knoll Inc., with beefy, exaggerated silhouettes of traditional styles such as Queen Anne and Chippendale. In 1982, the new firm Swid Powell enlisted a group of top American architects, including Frank Gehry, Richard Meier, Stanley Tigerman and Venturi to create postmodern tableware in silver, ceramic and glass.
On 1stDibs, the vintage postmodern furniture collection includes chairs, coffee tables, sofas, decorative objects, table lamps and more.
1980 Italy Bronze Abstract Sculpture Jiro Sugawara Orizzonte Maschile
Located in Brescia, IT
This artwork was created by the artist Jiro Sugawara, the title is "Male horizon" Jiro Sugawara is a post-war artist and he was born in Japon in 1941. He...
Bronze
1980 Italy Post-Modern Bronze Abstract Sculpture Beppe Bonetti Piccolo Racconto
Located in Brescia, IT
This artwork was created by the Italian artist Beppe Bonetti. Title "Piccolo racconto" translate "Little tale"" Beppe Bonetti was born in 1951 in Brescia, Italy, where he lives an...
Bronze
1985 Italy Post Modern Abstract Bronze Sculpture the Moon
Located in Brescia, IT
This is an interesting multiple artwork signed by the author Maurizio Bonora, a talented artist of years 80' in Italy. This is a multiple of a numbe...
Bronze
$10,340 / item
Vanguard 02-1 Bronze Sculpture by Kodai Suga
Located in Geneve, CH
Vanguard 02-1 Bronze Sculpture by Kodai Suga Dimensions: W 50 x D 7.5 x H 40 cm Materials: Bronze Kodai Suga’s work features an evocative modernistic silhouette that has been imbued...
Bronze, Other
1980 Italy Post Modern Abstract Bronze Sculpture Little Universe on Earth
Located in Brescia, IT
This is an interesting multiple artwork signed by the author Vanni Viviani, a well known artist of years 80' in Italy. This is a multiple of a numbered ...
Bronze
Extra Large Wave Mar de Cobre Wall Sculpture by Aura Carpio
Located in Geneve, CH
Extra Large Wave Mar de Cobre Wall Sculpture by Aura Carpio. Dimensions: D 120 x H 5 cm. Materials: Copper. This piece can be produced in customized sizes and finishes upon request...
Copper
$8,274 / item
Mobile Kinetic Sculpture by Max Lipsey
Located in Geneve, CH
Mobile Kinetic Sculpture by Max Lipsey Dimensions: D 350 x W 350 x H 350 cm. Materials: Steel and lacquer. The mobile is available in different colors and sizes on request. Please c...
Steel
$17,999 / item
Ki Chair by Ayse Zelal Tugrul
Located in Geneve, CH
Ki Chair by Ayse Zelal Tugrul Limited Edition. Dimensions: D 45 x H 68 cm. Materials: Handmade Copper and Marble. “Ki” means "earth, place, land" in Sumerian, symbolizing grounding ...
Marble, Copper
$11,535 / item
Jomon Contemporary Fertility Vessel 10 by Noe Kuremoto
Located in Geneve, CH
Jomon Contemporary Fertility Vessel 10 by Noe Kuremoto Materials: White stoneware Dimensions: D 28 x W 28 x H 44 cm (Dimensions are approximate). "I want my pot to remember what we ...
Stoneware
Otero Hammered Copper Wall Sculpture with Acid Patina by Aura Carpio
Located in Geneve, CH
Otero Hammered Copper Wall Sculpture with Acid Patina by Aura Carpio. Dimensions: W 90 x D 8 x H 210 cm. Materials: Copper. This piece can be produced in customized sizes and finish...
Copper
$5,361 / item
Compact Totem De Luz Sculpture by Kutarq Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Compact Totem De Luz Sculpture by Kutarq Studio Materials: Onyx diffuser. Dimensions: D 34 x W 38 x H 120 cm Compact version also available. All our lamps can be wired according to ...
Onyx, Other
$14,169 / item
Genesis Bronze Sculpture by Kodai Suga
Located in Geneve, CH
Genesis Bronze Sculpture by Kodai Suga Dimensions: W 50 x D 30 x H 45 cm Materials: Bronze Kodai Suga’s work features an evocative modernistic silhouette that has been imbued with d...
Bronze, Other
$16,595 / item
Handmade IOS P. Structure by Le Meduse
Located in Geneve, CH
Handmade IOS P. Structure by Le Meduse Unique piece Dimensions: W 75, D 60, H 60 cm Materials: Plaster Each model is unique because it is handmade, it can be reproduced in a similar but not identical way. Request customization. Each model is part of a limited edition collection. I investigated the bone structures a wonderful microcosm revealing the amazing harmony hidden in the small, sometimes invisible natural forms. These structures have always been considered the element that most tells the story of a people and their settlement. This magnificent spongy structure is a work of art of nature...
Plaster
Midcentury Postmodern Steel and Wood Coat Stand in the Shape of a Man
Located in Doornspijk, NL
This playful Postmodern coat stand is not only a smart space saver in a hallway, pantry or dressing room, it is also a pleasant and cheerful interior e...
Steel
Post-War Green Marble Torso Sculpture, American Design, 20th Century
Located in Queens, NY
American Post-War Design carved green marble stylized torso of a figure resting on a rectangular black base
Marble
Contemporary Art Fountain Pio Tempio D'empio Tempo by Luigi Ontani
By Luigi Ontani, Mirabili
Located in Pistoia, IT
Limited edition fountain in marble and bronze. (central column - limited edition of 7 pieces only) The central column can possibly be mounted inside a marble basin to be built local...
Marble, Bronze
Set of 3 Aurora Geode Triptych Wall Art Panels by Sev Art Gallery
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 3 Aurora Geode Triptych Wall Art Panels by Sev Art Gallery. Dimensions: Each panel W 100 x D 4 x H 180 cm. Materials: Natural quartz stone, citrine stone, epoxy resin, canvas...
Stone, Quartz
Push Me Pull You Goldene Glaze Ceramic Sculpture by Stephanie Phillips
Located in Geneve, CH
Push Me Pull You Goldene Glaze Ceramic Sculpture by Stephanie Phillips Dimensions: D 9 x W 35 x x H 40 cm Materials: Ceramic, Gold Also available in other colors and custom sizes f...
Gold
$1,923 / item
Artefacto 03 by Federico Stefanovich
Located in Geneve, CH
Artefacto 03 by Federico Stefanovich Dimensions: D 19 x W 47 x H 36 cm. Material: Brass. Available in a smaller size: D 10 x W 26 x H 20 cm. Federico Stefanovich presents himself as...
Brass
Monumental skyhook Sculpture by Peter Shire, late 1980s. Indoors or Outdoors
By Peter Shire
Located in Kansas City, MO
Large, over 8 feet tall and 5 feet wide, sculpture by artist Peter Shire. One of the original designers/artists in the Memphis Milan Group started by Ettore Sottsass, this is from S...
Steel, Stainless Steel
$14,297 / item
October Sculpture by Carri
Located in Geneve, CH
October Sculpture by Carri Dimensions: W 73 x D 5 x H 90 cm Materials: Onyx. B 1995 Fernanda Carri ́s intimate practice spans painting, sculpture, ceramics, and textile, while her ...
Onyx
$6,951 / item
XIV Décima Cuarta Mobile Sculpture by Joel Escalona
Located in Geneve, CH
XIV Décima Cuarta mobile sculpture by Joel Escalona Dimensions: D 120 x H 185 cm Materials: oak wood. Also available with burnt finish. Mobile made of natural white oak or natu...
Oak
Peter Shire Anchorage Teapot for Memphis, 1982
By Rossi & Arcandi, Peter Shire
Located in Kansas City, MO
This is a rare "Anchorage Teapot" by designer and artist Peter Shire. Rossi e Arcandi for Memphis, Milano, 1982. The teapot is completely original and shows signs of wear to be expec...
Silver Plate, Brass
$1,531 / item
Wood Sculptures by Touch With Eyes
Located in Geneve, CH
Wood Sculptures by Touch With Eyes Dimensions: W 30 x D 20 x H 50 cm Materials: Wood washed out by the sea, Wax and Oil. Weight: 10 Kg. The sculptures were made of wood washed out...
Wood
Vintage Original Studio Pottery Sculpture
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This monumental studio pottery sculpture by artist KT Blacklock, dated 1978, is a vibrant and commanding example of late-century Postmodern expressionism. The piece features a dynami...
Pottery
$16,084 / item
Sunset Wall Piece by Pepe Valenti
Located in Geneve, CH
Sunset Wall Piece by Pepe Valenti Dimensions: D 7 x W 70 x H 150 cm. Materials: Copper-plated stainless steel. Inspired by the immersive experience of th...
Stainless Steel, Copper
$638 / item
Brass Bud Vase III by Gentner Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Brass bud vase III by Gentner Design Dimensions: D 5 x W 5 x H 10 cm Materials: dull tarnished brass Each of these delicately, handcrafted Bud Vase...
Brass
Howard Miller George Nelson 1984 Checkerboard Table Clock, "Tempo 21" Tower 3
By Howard Miller, George Nelson
Located in Kansas City, MO
Rare postmodern brown and cream checkerboard table clock by Howard Miller Clock Company. From the 1984 "Tempo 21" collection. Slight signs of wear ...
Aluminum
$783Sale Price|25% Off
Postmodern White Lacquered Earthenware Horse Head Decorative Object, Italy 1980s
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
This large-scale figure of a horse head was produced in Italy and dates to the 80s. The white glaze gives this piece a modern look and captures the elegance and beauty of the horse....
Earthenware
Horus by Paul Wunderlich for Rosenthal 1985
Located in Weesp, NL
Rare 1985 Paul Wunderlich Porcelain Art Piece “Horus” Elevate your art collection with this extraordinary 1985 Jahresobjekt “Horus,” created by the renowned German artist Paul Wunde...
Porcelain
$40,953 / item
Aceleración Screen by Joel Escalona
Located in Geneve, CH
Aceleración screen by Joel Escalona Limited edition of 9 Dimensions: D 230 x W 40 x H 187 cm Materials: oak wood. Natural white oak screen. J...
Oak
Pop Art Blue Plate Special Burger & Fries Glass Sculpture Set John Miller, 2008
By John Miller
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Inspired by Americana, Miller's work stands to bring new light and perspective to the often overlooked but ubiquitous cultural artifacts that form the American visual lexicon and lived experience. Maybe as impressive as the work itself, is the magnitude of which his creations come to life. At such an impressive scale, his process is truly spectacle to witness. Pieces from his famed ‘Blue Plate Special...
Art Glass, Blown Glass
Tall SIGNED French Abstract Ceramic Sculpture in Two Pieces
Located in North Miami, FL
This is a fantastic large scale hand made ceramic sculpture SIGNED to interior top piece (SEE all detail images and video). This ethereal bird-like figure has wonderful coloring and...
Ceramic
$400Sale Price|20% Off
Lucite Sculpture Signed Vaham 88
Located in Denton, TX
Sculpted abstract Lucite on stand in the style of Van Teal.
Lucite
Large Stone Bathtub by Studio Loho, Post-Modern Design, Belgium, 175cm
Located in Geneve, CH
Large stone bathtub by Studio Loho Dimensions: D 85 x W 175 x H 57 cm Materials: stone Other stone types are possible upon request. Available in 2 si...
Stone
Vasa Velizar Mihich Acrylic Sphere Sculpture, Post-Modern Design, 1989
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Signed and dated spherical acrylic sculpture by Vasa Mihich, circa 1990. The 5 1/2" diameter piece displays evolving optical effects from the blue, green, and orange acrylics when ro...
Acrylic
$11,539 / item
Matte Black Finish Néra Sculpture by deBlona
Located in Geneve, CH
Matte Black Finish Néra Sculpture by deBlona Dimensions: W 78 x D 20 x H 87-97 cm. Materials: Ceramic. Colors: Matte black finish. A sculptural representation of an imposing and en...
Ceramic
A POP inflatable "NANA" SCULPTURE by NIKI DE SAINT PHALLE France 1970
Located in PARIS, FR
A large inflatable sculpture of "Nana", Pop, Post-Modernist, New Realist, in black plastic with a jersey with brightly colored pictorial motifs, marked on the thigh: Niki de Saint Ph...
Plastic
Raw & Rainbow Rainwow Sculpture in Powder-Coated Aluminum by altreforme
Located in Geneve, CH
Raw & Rainbow Rainwow Sculpture in Powder-Coated Aluminum by altreforme Limited Edition Of 10 Pieces. Dimensions: D 2,5 x W 14 x H 7 cm. Materials: Powder-coated aluminum. "Somewher...
Aluminum
Morform Ceramic Sculpture in Terracotta Stoneware Clay by Catalin Filip
Located in Geneve, CH
Morform Ceramic Sculpture in Terracotta Stoneware Clay by Catalin Filip. Dimensions: W 35 x D 35 x H 40 cm. Materials: Terracotta Stoneware Clay, textured natural ceramic finish. Mo...
Ceramic, Stoneware
Contemporary Abstract Bronze Sculpture by Bertrand Créach
Located in London, GB
" Famille I " Bronze sculpture by Bertrand Creach, 2021. Limited edition 1/8, hand-crafted adorned in a black patina. ______ Dimension: H 35 x 15.5 x ...
Bronze
Rare "Kallisti” - Large Blue Glass Artwork by Alekos Fassianos for Daum, 1988.
By Alekos Fassianos, Daum
Located in Lille, FR
Kallisti by Alekos Fassianos for Daum, blue pâte de verre, 1988. Signed and numbered 145/200. Alekos Fassianos (1935-2022) was one of Greece's most celebrated modern painters, known...
Glass, Art Glass
Contemporary Frosted Glass Sculpture "Green Toucan" by Lalique Glass
By Lalique
Located in London, GB
A striking mid 20th Century frosted green and polished glass study of a toucan with excellent smooth tactile surface detail and rich vibrant colour, signed Lalique France ADDITIONA...
Glass
$6,672 / item
Untitled 19 Stoneware Sculpture by Laura Pasquino
Located in Geneve, CH
Untitled 19 Stoneware Sculpture by Laura Pasquino One of a kind Dimensions: D 50 x H 49 cm Material: White and beige stoneware, glaze. Laura Pasquino Incorporating references from ...
Stoneware
Soft and Organic Form Ivory Stoneware Luwana Sculpture by Munier
Located in Geneve, CH
Stoneware Luwana Sculpture by Munier Dimensions: W 42 x D 45 x H 36 cm. Materials: Stoneware. Weight: 10 kg My work is driven by the desire to infuse homes with harmony, the kind th...
Ceramic
$5,570 / item
Jug by Laura Pasquino
Located in Geneve, CH
Jug by Laura Pasquino Limited Edition of 8 Dimensions: D 23 x H 33 cm Material: Soft-paste porcelain, glaze. Laura Pasquino Incorporating references from ancient Korean ceramics as...
Porcelain
$1,380 / item
Large Lingara Planter by Deetee Home
Located in Geneve, CH
Large Lingara Planter by Deetee Home Dimensions: W 48.768 x D 48.768 x H 60.96 cm Materials: Stoneware Lingara is an ode to that feeling. To divinity. To rootedness. INSPIRED BY Shi...
Stoneware
Cálice Sculptural Object in Cast Brass by Studio Orth
Located in Geneve, CH
Cálice Sculptural Object in Cast Brass by Studio Orth Dimensions: D 12 x W 12 x H 18 cm. Materials: Cast brass. Estúdio Orth is a multidisciplinary furniture and interior design of...
Brass
$10,212 / item
Posthuman Sculptural Object By Caspi Ceramics NL
Located in Geneve, CH
Posthuman Sculptural Object By Caspi Ceramics NL Dimensions: W 20 x D 25 x H 58 cm. Materials: Ceramic, engobe, Jarre-a-la-corde, oxidation firing. About: From early childhood, cera...
Ceramic
Medium Brass Mar de Cobre Wall Sculpture by Aura Carpio
Located in Geneve, CH
Medium Brass Mar de Cobre Wall Sculpture by Aura Carpio Dimensions: D 70 x H 5 cm. Materials: Copper, Brass. Weight: 7 Kg. Aura Carpio® (CDMX). Mexican industrial designer graduate...
Copper, Brass
$673 / item
Paper Brass Bowl I by Gentner Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Paper brass bowl I by Gentner Design Dimensions: D 25.4 x W 25.4 x H 12.7 cm Materials: tarnished brass Available in tarnished brass and darkened brass. The Paper Series embodies th...
Brass
Life Sized Wall Mounted Mule Deer Bust by The Peak Antler
Located in Geneve, CH
Life Sized Wall Mounted Mule Deer Bust by The Peak Antler Dimensions: W 73.66 x D 50.80 x H 132.08 cm Materials: naturally shed antlers Based in, produced and shipped from the US. ...
Antler
Estremoz Marble Sculpture by Jean-Frédéric Bourdier
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Jean-Frédéric Bourdier Estremoz Marble sculpture Signed and dated France 2007 210 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm
Marble
Unique Painting #04 Hand Blown Glass Sculpture by Aleksandra Zawistowska
Located in Geneve, CH
Unique Painting #04 Hand Blown Glass Sculpture by Aleksandra Zawistowska. One of a Kind. Dimensions: Approx. W 15 x D 15 x H 32 cm. Materials: Hand-blown glass. About the Studio Sz...
Glass, Blown Glass
Vintage Hand-Blown Art Glass Parrot Sculpture, Late 20th Century
Located in Fairfield, CA
A large, vibrantly colored blown art glass parrot.
Blown Glass
Michael Morris (1942-2022) "Nuclear Problems" Abstract Sculpture 2017
Located in Norwalk, CT
This evocative abstract sculpture was created by British-born Canadian artist Michael Morris. Known for his abstract sculptures and installations throughout the mid-20th century, Mor...
PVC, Wood
$14,169 / item
Element 01 Bronze Sculpture by Kodai Suga
Located in Geneve, CH
Element 01 Bronze Sculpture by Kodai Suga Dimensions: W 60 x D 15 x H 40 cm Materials: Bronze Kodai Suga’s work features an evocative modernistic silhouette that has been imbued wit...
Bronze, Other
$110,247
72.5° Arcs x9
By Bernar Venet
Located in Paris, FR
Black patina steel sculpture 70 x 43 x 30 cm Title engraved at base of work Archive number: bv03ss10 To achieve a flawless curve, 72.5° Arcs x9 is based on the fundamental principle...
Steel, Stainless Steel
Mint Green Coil #06 Sculptural Object By Caspi Ceramics NL
Located in Geneve, CH
Mint Green Coil #06 Sculptural Object By Caspi Ceramics NL Dimensions: W 51 x D 56 x H 51 cm. Materials: Ceramic, engobe, Jarre-a-la-corde, oxidation firing. About: From early child...
Ceramic
'Cairo' Chair by Peter Shire, 2018
By Peter Shire
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Upholstered armchair by Peter Shire, 2018 Upholstered with Kvadrat Divina Fabric, Aluminum, Wood & Paint. Approximate measures: 60 1/4" high x 40" wide x 39" deep Peter Shire: ...
Aluminum