L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 www.italoamericano.com L'Italo-Americano 5 Peter Shire and the Memphis Group: a longstanding relationship between Italy and Los Angeles The history of the Memphis Group dates back to the 1980s but as time goes by, its echo lingers on and so does its fol- lowing, particularly in terms of connections between Italy and Los Angeles. The innovative design and architecture group was founded in Milan in 1981 by renowned a r t i s t E t t o r e S o t t s a s s , a n d r e m a i n e d a c t i v e u n t i l 1 9 8 8 . Some people still consider the Lombard experience simply as a wise recovery from the kitsch style, while it actually went far b e y o n d t h a t . T h e M e m p h i s Group's ambitious projects and inspiration - especially for that time - used to draw on the past tradition as much as on more recent history, developing an i d e n t i t y a s o n e o f t h e m o s t d y n a m i c p o s t m o d e r n a v a n t - gardes. The name was inspired by t h e f a m o u s r e f r a i n w i t h t h e Memphis blues again from Bob Dylan's song "Stuck Inside The M o b i l e , " w h i c h w a s p l a y e d o v e r a n d o v e r a g a i n a t t h e group's first meeting. Among the affiliates were Michele de L u c c h i , A l d o C i b i c , M a t t e o Thun, Marco Zanini, Martine Bedin, and many others gravi- tated towards the group. One of them was born and raised in Los Angeles, precisely in the area of Echo Park that is one of the most vibrant in the city, where he still works as an artist. Peter Shire has always been associated with the Memphis Group's design, mainly due to his contribution as a sculptor to the colorful and abstract forms of the pieces of furniture, as well as to his glass working skills, developed in Murano, Italy, in the 1970s. "The world of art – Shire would remind - tends to catego- rize artists. When I think of my position in it, I realize that it's extremely flexible because I c r o s s o v e r s o m a n y b o u n d - aries." And to emphasize this idea even more, he adds, "If Leonardo was alive today he would probably be working at Cape Canaveral." Although he doesn't deny a strong influence of Bauhaus, Futurism, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco, Peter Shire's career in art h a s n e v e r f o l l o w e d a l i n e a r path. And the experience with the Memphis Group in Milan allowed him to approach the absolute rigidity of modernism, d e c l i n i n g t h e p a r a m e t e r s - mostly visual and unexpected - of post-modernism, with a per- sonal style that combines tech- nology and aesthetics. To celebrate once again that historical moment of artistic turmoil – mainly but not exclu- sively Italian -, the IIC of Los Angeles organized the exhibi- tion "Reality Within Reality: Peter Shire" that focuses on the f r a c t u r e b e t w e e n p o s t m o d - ernism and all previous artistic movements through some of P e t e r S h i r e ' s w o r k s a n d preparatory drawings from the Memphis Group. The exhibi- t i o n o p e n e d o n T h u r s d a y , March 19 and will remain on view to the public until April 18. " I a m c r a z y a b o u t t h e I t a l i a n s – S h i r e s a i d a t t h e opening, - and this is because the Italians are crazy. Look at this exhibition, for example: it was installed in just 4 hours even though it took me 30 years o f w o r k t o c r e a t e i t . T h i s i s amazing!" O n t h e s a m e o c c a s i o n , Deputy of Arts and Culture of t h e L . A . C i t y C o u n c i l I s a a c B u r k s p r e s e n t e d a s p e c i a l recognition to the artist, the IIC Director Valeria Rumori, and curator Alessandro Patrosi for t h e v a l u e o f t h e e x h i b i t i o n , which has once again strength- e n e d t h e t i e s b e t w e e n L o s Angeles and Italy. NICOLA BUSCA IIC Director Valeria Rumori, Peter Shire and Alessandro Pedrazzi Peter Shire and Isaac Burks reading L'Italo-Americano

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