[Memphis'] vision of the world pursues quality, in the same ways as during the renaissance, for love of quality and out of intolerance towards mediocrity and the mediocre, pursues a sensory rather than an ideologised world…far from academic attitudes…far from the sadness of bureaucracy….It is a concept of the world existing and thriving, even in the present day of the bickering.
Marco Zanini
Champion 100 celebrates the collecting philosophy of George Champion. With more than 25 years in the field, Champion has cultivated a reputation for assembling works across a broad range of styles and movements. He explains: “I collect what I like—as long as it’s good design.”
From the very beginning, George was focused on finding the best examples of any given design. His father, who worked in manufacturing and industrial design, instilled in George a robust appreciation for precision, quality and innovation at an early age.
His first foray into the world of collecting was with Shaker furniture. Drawn to the clean, unadorned lines and practicality of Shaker style, it was only natural that George soon transitioned to collecting midcentury modern works, endeavoring to find the most original or iconic representations of a form be it Mies van der Rohe’s white leather Barcelona chairs for Knoll or 50th Anniversary, rosewood LCWs by Charles and Ray Eames.
His passion for design extends well beyond the historical to the contemporary, rare and unusual. Since the 1980s, George has traveled each year to Milan to attend the Salone de Mobile and satellite fairs to view present day design innovations. He fervently follows the production of Cappellini because he believes Giulio Cappellini has been the most receptive to providing opportunities to new, up-and-coming designers. It is from the Cappellini Showroom in New York, "where the company sends its best stuff", that George has acquired many original and exceptional designs including Oki Sato’s (nendo) Tent desk.
Finally, George is also interested in the designers themselves and he has met many of the designers whose works he collects. From asking Ettore Sottsass, Keith Haring, or Philippe Starck to sign works within his collection, to purchasing works from Gaetano Pesce directly, George is wholly invested in the world of design. Design is his passion, his interest and his livelihood.
Champion 100 is the first in a series of auctions in which Wright collaborates with a collector to present a curated selection of 100 works from their personal collection highlighting their design philosophy. George Champion is a collector and dealer located in Woodbury, Connecticut.
Marco Zanini b. 1954
Marco Zanini was born in Trent in 1954 and studied architecture at the University of Florence. Taking a break from his studies in the late 1970s, Zanini worked for a short time as a designer at Argonaut Company in Los Angeles before settling back in Florence, and working under Ettore Sottsass, who he had met as a student in 1975. Sottsass later invited Zanini to join the Memphis group in 1981 and he contributed iconic designs such as the Dublin sofa, Roma chair and Union shelving unit. Most notable in his diverse body of work however, are his bright, totemic glass and ceramic works which are enduring icons of postmodern design. Today, he teaches design and architecture at various universities throughout the world.
