George Sowden for Dimmer

GEORGE SOWDEN (Leeds, 1942) for Dimmer.
Table lamp, c. 1982.
Metal, plastic, and glass. Number 61/200.
In good condition, with signs of wear consistent with its age.
Signed by the designer and the manufacturer on the base. Authenticated.
Measurements: 47 x 50 x 50 cm.

Table lamp designed by George J. Sowden for Drimmer around 1982. Produced in a limited edition of 200 pieces, this piece is a standout example of postmodern design from the early 1980s, a period in which formal experimentation and the prominence of color profoundly transformed the language of contemporary lighting. The composition is structured around a series of overlapping geometric volumes: a light-colored conical base supports a cylindrical shaft, topped by a dark truncated cone that serves as a transition to the wide circular shade. The shade features an irregular graphic pattern in shades of pink, whose effect is reminiscent of organic forms, abstract maps, or eroded surfaces.
Drimmer’s design is rooted in the creative climate surrounding the founding of the Memphis Group in Milan in 1981. Founded around Ettore Sottsass, this movement challenged the principles of austerity and neutrality associated with the Modern Movement, advocating for a freer, more playful, and narrative-driven approach to design. The incorporation of striking graphic motifs, chromatic contrasts, and deliberately expressive geometries became one of its hallmarks.
George J. Sowden studied architecture at the Gloucestershire College of Art before moving to Milan in 1970. There he began working alongside Ettore Sottsass and Olivetti, an experience that proved fundamental to his subsequent career and his approach to industrial design and new technologies. In 1981, along with Sottsass, Nathalie Du Pasquier, Michele De Lucchi, Aldo Cibic, Martine Bedin, and other designers, he became one of the founding members of Memphis. In 1991, he received the prestigious Compasso d’Oro award for the OFX420 fax machine designed for Olivetti, and in 2010, he launched his own brand, SOWDEN, dedicated to everyday objects and products.