There is a Light that Never Goes Out...1980's Lighting Styles

We recently discovered Mirror 80, a design blog that provides great commentary on 1980's interior design. Mirror 80 is the endeavor of Kate Simmons, who draws on a lifetime love of '80s style. Spotlighting various 1980's aesthetics like Floral designs, Southwestern motifs, Art Deco ceramics, and the Memphis Design Group, Kate has created some wonderful posts about how these dynamic styles appeared in 1980's pop culture and how they have echoed through the past 30 years. After connecting with Kate over the past couple of months, we have invited her to write a guest blog for The 80s Gallery. Selecting the unique and broad applications of 1980's Lighting we proudly turn you on to Kate Simmons and Mirror 80.

Electrifying Eighties Lighting

The phrase “80s lighting” may conjure images of brass and etched glass chandeliers, oversized track lighting and strips of dressing room-style bulbs over bathroom mirrors. But dismissing an entire decade of lighting due to a few repetitive choices would be ignoring years of truly interesting pieces. What about geometric flair, nods to design movements such as Art Deco, and statement pieces that mix art with functionality?

Lamps and lighting fixtures from the 1980s can add modern flourishes to a space—pieces from this decade mix well with industrial, mid-century modern and other contemporary eclectic styles, adding a dash of fun and intrigue without committing the entire room to an 80s flashback!

As you hunt for luminous treasures, keep an eye out for:

Pendant Fixtures

80s pendant lighting fixtures were crafted from a variety of materials, including metal and glass. Many pieces from this decade were round or conical in shape, directing the light downward to illuminate functional spaces like kitchen and dining areas.

The metallic fixtures below serve as modern focal points:

Image from The Decorating Book by Mary Gilliatt, an amazing interior design resource written and published in the 80s! Available at Amazon

Pendant factory lighting gives this kitchen an industrial feel:

Image from The Decorating Book by Mary Gilliatt

Rounded Lamps

From wall lights to floor lamps, spherical shapes abounded in the 1980s. The good news: the geometric simplicity of these lights makes them timelessly modern.

A globe-like table lamp in a metal stand makes a sleek, contemporary statement:

Image from The Decorating Book by Mary Gilliatt

A spherical floor lamp sends light upward, spotlighting the collectibles on display:

Image from The Decorating Book by Mary Gilliatt

From sphere to egg—glowing table lamps add a mysterious quality to this 80s-modern living room in a still from Todd Haynes’ film Safe, set in the 1987 suburbs of the San Fernando Valley:

Deco-Style Lighting

Many arenas of 80s style took inspiration from the Art Deco movement of the 20s and 30s. From graphic design to furniture design, hints of Deco glamour emerged. Lighting of the 1980s featured Deco elements, from fan motifs on sconces to sweeping curves on pottery-based lamps.

In fact, affordable 80s ceramic Deco-style lamps are currently a staple at Goodwill stores. Mauve and country blue are popular colors, but if they’re not your cup of tea, keep your eyes peeled for interesting finds in black, white and peach. Some may even feature Lucite bases!

An 80s Deco ceramic lamp reinforces the peach and mint green bedroom color scheme in this still from Todd Haynes’ film Safe:

This Empire State Lamp honors the streamlined magnificence of Art Deco architecture:

1980's Empire State Building Lamp at The 80s Gallery

Neon Lighting

Neon lighting is unmistakably 80s. You may be hard-pressed to find neon in today’s spaces unless featured on a bar sign, which makes a well-incorporated neon piece a true gem.

Ceiling-mounted neon tubing adds modern ambiance:

Image from The Decorating Book by Mary Gilliatt

This pink neon splatter triangle wall lamp merges lighting with wall art:

1980's Pink Neon Triangle Wall Lamp at The 80s Gallery

This neon floor lamp sculpture is by Rudi Stern and Dan Chelsea for George Kovacs. Although the piece was designed in the 70s, its geometric form and violet blue neon tubing can add an 80s touch to a room of choice:

Image Courtesy of Austin Modern

Statement Pieces

Then there are those pieces that demand attention in a room, even without the neon glow! Call them conversation starters, showpieces or works of art, these designer finds will easily take center stage in the spaces they inhabit.

This piece by modern lighting pioneer Robert Sonneman has a minimalist, space-age feel (shown in close-up and even closer-up):

1980's Robert Sonneman Lamp for George Kovacs at The 80s Gallery

The Tahiti Lamp, by renowned Memphis Group designer Ettore Sottsass, showcases the clever use of playful geometry and striking color:While some prefer chrome to brass and simple to ornate, a well-designed piece that makes a statement can outshine expectations about what will and won’t work when it comes to 80s lighting. Keep an open mind and let pieces speak for themselves. More importantly, don’t be afraid to let an 80s lamp or fixture take center stage!

After all, the 80s were truly illuminating…Kate Simmons Mirror 80

Thank you Kate for making such a wonderful contribution to The 80s Gallery

Love Living in the 80s

www.the80sgallery.com

Miu Miu: Walking in Memphis

After rocking the world of fashion in 1989 with her sleek nylon handbags and her ready to wear collection, Prada designer Miuccia Prada brought a new dimension to The House of Prada in 1992 with the introduction of her designer fashion label Miu Miu. Focusing more on strong color combinations and bold prints, the Miu Miu label has allowed Miuccia to explore new youthful design motifs that frequently contradict the classic lines of Prada. For Miu Miu's 2006 Spring line Miuccia didn't have to look far from her label's home base of Milan for inspiration. Revisiting the patterns and fabric designs of The Memphis Design Group from the early 1980's, Miuccia brought the bold powerful look of Memphis to the runway. Below are images taken from the 2006 Spring line fashion show in Milan, to the right of each image is a sample fabric designed by Nathalie du Pasquier in 1981-1983 for The Memphis Design Group that shows the direct correlation to Miuccia Prada's Miu Miu 2006 Spring line.

Compared next to the green and orange Miu Miu shirt is Nathalie du Pasquier's "Zambia" Pattern

Compared next to the red and green Miu Miu shorts is Nathalie du Pasquier's "Zaire" Pattern

Compared next to the orange and blue Miu Miu dress is Nathalie du Pasquier's "Zambia" Pattern

Miuccia also paired many of her Miu Miu male models with jewelry for the show that were very Memphis in design. The image above shows one of the models from the show compared with the Ettore Sottsass "San Marco" Brooch from 1985.

Walking in Memphis!

We would like to thank Memphis collector Dennis Zanone for the use of his Nathalie du Pasquier Memphis fabric patterns. For available Authentic Memphis Jewelry Designs please feel free to visit our website.

Love Living in the 80s
www.the80sgallery.com

Back to the Future...with Robert Longo

Robert Longo recounts to W Magazine "Instead of ripping you off, we want to hire you" said Tomas Maier Creative Director of Bettega Veneta to Robert Longo as he sought to work with the artist on a new ad campaign. Working with the Italian fashion house to bring back the graphic style of his 1980's Men in Cities series for their Fall & Winter 2010 line, Longo and Maier's collaboration brings the timeless appeal of Robert Longo's early 1980's work to the forefront of contemporary fashion.



Above on the left is one of Robert Longo's original Men in Cities charcoal and graphite on paper drawings from 1981, on the right is one of the photographs for the Bottega Veneta ad campaign.

Patrick Nagel Illusion...The Magic of David Copperfield

A wonderful segment from David Copperfield's TV special "The Magic of David Copperfield". Appearing along with David Copperfield and CJ the Orangutan from the 1981 remake "Tarzan, the Ape Man", appears a larger than life Nagel woman as a prop for David Copperfield's card trick. Enjoy!

ACME Studio: CNN Style, 1987

Filmed in 1987 at the New York International Gift Fair / Accent on Design, CNN Styles host, Elsa Klensch interviewed Lesley Bailey and Adrian Olabuenaga, founders of ACME Studios, Inc. The story covers the jewelry that ACME focused on at the time and the design revolutions that inspired them.

She Wore a Black Bustier...Original Patrick Nagel Canvas

The design roots of this original acrylic painting on canvas from 1983 came from a smaller original painting on board that Nagel did for Playboy's September 1983 Playboy Forum. The image from Playboy is posted below.
This image was then later cropped and printed in the 1990s by Playboy under the business name of "Special Edition Limited". An image of the print is seen below.
The canvas painting that we're currently offering features a more limited color palette than the Playboy piece, but is a much more refined painting with a stunning face and contrast in tonal quality, as can be seen in the detail photo of her face below.
The canvas painting measuring 43"x31" is in excellent condition. The canvas is signed and dated "1983" and is stretched over a wooden backer, which is a signature element of Nagel's canvas works.

On the back of the wooden stretcher the painting is marked with the cataloging number "N231" as can be seen in the image posted below.
We have included a photo of Nagel at a show signing with this canvas hanging behind him during the event.
Patrick Nagel
Original Acrylic on Canvas
43"x31"
Signed and Dated 1983

For additional information please email: the80sgallery@yahoo.com

Dorothy Hafner...The Art of Tea

Hand Made Porcelain in Hafner Studios, NYC 1981-1991 this Tea Set titled "Fireflies, Jelly Beans and Arthur Murray Dance Steps" is pictured here with a matching plate. The Tea Pot measures 9" Long by 3.5" Deep by 8.5" Tall with the Handle. The set is in museum quality condition and was secured directly from Dorothy Hafner. Knowing that this was one of the last Tea Sets that she created in the series it is a wonderful addition to any 80s showcase...even if it is signed 1991!
The underside of the Tea Pot is signed 1991 in ink and faintly inscribed in the porcelain. The photo below shows the ink signature on the underside of the Tea Pot.The underside of the Sugar is signed and dated 1991 in ink and is inscribed in the porcelain. The photo below shows both signatures on the underside of the Sugar.
The underside of the Creamer is signed and dated 1990 in ink as can be seen in the photo below.
This set is available for $950. Please email the80sgallery@yahoo.com for addition information or purchase requests. Love Living in the 80s!