Mod to Memphis: Design in Colour 1960s-80s

A colourful tour of 1960s–80s design, from the bean bag to the Marilyn lips sofa. A small, vivid window onto the SDF's historical-social facet — how an era's mood shows up in its objects. Published by Powerhouse Publishing, Mod to Memphis explores the role of colour, alongside form and materials, in distinguishing the furniture, lighting, textiles and wallpaper of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. It profiles 21 American, European and Australian designers who worked with colour, form and material, including Verner Panton, Vico Magistretti, Marimekko, Pierre Paulin, Gaetano Pesce, Ettore Sottsass and the Memphis Group. The book was published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney; author Anne Watson is a curator of decorative arts and design there.