“Imagine throwing geometric objects into the air, allowing them to magically come together.” Peter Shire has described his work as a designer in these terms. A vision that takes concrete form in Big Sur, an eccentric seating element of great visual impact, where sharp angles form a contrast with rounded cushions.
A sofa for two covered in fabric, Big Sur is made of wood with different lacquer colors, to highlight the various parts that form its asymmetrical silhouette: armrests with various geometric shapes, and a staggered back. This impressive, forceful presence stands on triangular legs.
After having seen the colorful anthropomorphic teapots by Peter Shire in the magazine WET in 1977, Ettore Sottsass invited the young designer to take part in Memphis. “One of the reasons I decided to work with the Memphis group is also one of the reasons I live in California: I think having fun is OK. In my work this is always the goal: to feel joy and to communicate it,” Shire has said. Big Sur is a spectacular region of the central California coast, extending for about 110 km between Carmel-by-the-Sea to the north and San Simeon to the south. The sofa is a tribute to the vitality of that setting.
