Memphis Graphic Style vs Postmodern Architecture
Memphis Graphic Style is the cross-discipline counterpart of Postmodern Architecture — the 1980s postmodern delight in colour, pattern, and historical pastiche, in print.
Memphis Graphic Style
The playful, anti-tasteful 1980s style born from Milan's Memphis Group — squiggles, confetti dots, zigzags, and clashing pastel-and-primary color against black.
- Squiggles, zigzags, and the signature 'Bacterio' scribble
- Confetti dots and terrazzo-speckle textures
- Clashing pastels and saturated primaries, often on black
- Bold geometric shapes in playful, scattered arrangements
- Decorative excess that rejects modernist restraint
Postmodern Architecture
A playful rebellion against modernist austerity — color, ornament, historical quotation, and wit brought back into architecture.
- Historical references and ornament used freely, often ironically
- Bold color and varied materials
- Exaggerated or fragmented classical elements (pediments, columns)
- Eclectic mixing of styles and scales
- Wit, symbolism, and contextual gestures
At a glance
| Memphis Graphic Style | Postmodern Architecture | |
|---|---|---|
| Era | c. 1981–1990 | 1970s–1990s |
| Discipline | Graphic Design | Architecture |
| Region | Italy, United States | United States, Worldwide |
| Family | Postmodern, Vernacular/Pop | Postmodernism |
| Formal traits | squiggle, confetti, clashing-color, geometric | eclectic, ornamental, colorful, ironic |
More comparisons
Advertisement