tidal zone - Hobart City Council

Transcription

tidal zone - Hobart City Council
An exhibition of
contemporary furniture
and objects co-presented
by the Design Centre Tasmania and the furniture
designers association
tidal
zone
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
Tidal Zone: An exhibition of contemporary
furniture and objects
Copyright © the authors, the artists, the Design
Centre - Tasmania and the Furniture Designers
Association 2007. Apart from use as permitted
under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be
reproduced or distributed by any process or stored
in any retrieval system or database without prior
permission from the copyright holder.
ISBN 978-0-9757341-3-1
catalogue index
Along the tide-line, Chris Viney
5
Conversations in the Tidal Zone, Danielle Wood
8
Dilly Bowl, Tracy Gumm 12
Strand, Sally Brown
13
Renewal, Karin Beaumont
14
Variable Coupling, Pippa Dickson
15
Surf Table, Robert Edge
16
Flotsam, Jetsam, Ligan, Belinda Holloway
17
D’Entrecasteaux, Linda Fredheim
18
Pod, Chanchal Foxen
19
Bounty Cabinet, Patrick Hall 20
Shack Stacks, Dean Chatwin 21
Tiger Head Table, Jon Hemming
22
Waterline Vases, Sheena Lowe
23
Chaise, Ross Straker 24
Sparkling Shores, Brendan Sharpe
25
Coot Low Table, Kevin Perkins 26
Swell, Belinda Marquis
27
Part and Particle, Denise Ava Robinson
28
Sting-Ray, John Smith
29
Peninsula Bench, Benton van Dorsselaer
30
Low Table, George Harris
31
Flotsam Beach Chair, Nick Proud 32
About the artists/designers
35
Exhibition contributors
42
Acknowledgements
44
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
On the crusty
southern edge
of our island,
swells that
have circled the
world’s wildest
oceans at last
cast their energy
on Tasmanian
sand, cobbles
and cliffs.
Along the tide-line
Chris Viney
Remote places are made for
contemplative wandering.
Through seven winter days I
walk the length of ten lonely
beaches, following the tracks
of feathered, furred and
clawed creatures that have
nosed their way before me
along the tide-line, turning
things over, looking for their
stories, their secrets.
Cox Bight Beach is dotted with
crab casts – little ziggurats of
industry, waiting for the tide.
There are stranded starfish,
jellyfish, cockles – some dead,
some waiting. There’s a plank
of weathered timber, correctly
stencilled THIS SIDE UP.
I lift driftwood with the toe
of my boot and look
underneath leaves of kelp,
their wet curves glistening.
I find the skull of a shearwater
– the beak strong and
curved, the twin bone domes
impossibly thin, translucent,
and unmarked. But a thick
shell that once shielded
some shy being has been
rolled in the waves, the hard
mantle broken, the inner
twistings revealed.
Calm and self-contained,
they lie in pools of wet
low-tide light. My mind on
distant mountains, I walk on,
wandering from dune rim to
water’s edge, waiting, with the
jetsam, for the tide.
There are people’s stories
on the beaches. When the
fisherman from Nagoya or
Yokohama tossed his empty
saké bottle overboard, he
didn’t know I’d find it on
Turua Beach and think of him.
Did he drain the bottle in
anger – or in loneliness,
the warmth of the ship at his
back, looking out on a dark
sea? Was he thinking
of a lover? Of home? The
next day’s catch? Or just the
next bottle?
On Prion Beach I find
a Gordian Knot of
polypropylene ropes and
frayed cords. The snarl of red
and orange promises hours of
patient untangling – maybe it
would be simpler to make a
couple of quick cuts, and hope
there’d be some pieces of
useful length left over.
I tug at a few stray loops, but
the sand holds them. Plucking
at other loose ends in my
mind, I move on, seeking
easier treasures.
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
Along the tide-line
Hidden among
the bull kelp on
Granite Beach
is a plastic
shampoo bottle
of an unfamiliar
brand. The selfproclaimed
confidence of
its name sits
oddly among the
burnished glow of
leathery strands:
“I’m BEAUTIFUL!” the
label shouts. “Try Me! I’m
Environmentally Friendly!”
(I can see them in the advertising
agency boardroom. The copywriter
is on his feet.
“We’ve put the product promise up
in lights,” he’s saying. “Right there
on the packaging – ‘I’m Beautiful’
– that’s the key benefit!”
“I’ll buy it,” says the client. “But I
want the greenie message big and
bold, too. Where’s the dolphin?”
The art director jumps in.
“Let’s not clutter the design,” he
says. “It’s strong, it’s clean!”)
But here, where the suck and
rumble of surf would drown
the most intrusive jingle, it’s
grubby and weak. The plastic
has whitened in the waves and
the lettering is faded by salt
and sun. The brash boast has
been casually scoured away by
the changing ocean.
Yet perhaps as a counterpoint
to the power of the sea it
has earned its small place on
the beach.
I drop it back among the kelp
and cobbles and walk on,
turning over stones in my life,
looking for the next thing.
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
Conversations in
the Tidal Zone
Danielle Wood
A day writes itself upon
the sand.
Before dawn, those busy
commuters the penguins
make tracks between burrow
and surf. Water rats scuffle
soft sand. After sunrise,
plovers and gulls leave webby
triangles in meandering trails,
never quite finishing off their
figures of eight. Squiggles of
sandy piping pile up beside
wormholes. And the wind
deepens furrows and caves.
On beaches where people go,
the first words of the day are
slowly printed by the early
morning walker who folds his
brown arms behind his back
and tows his gaze steadily
along the horizon. A jogger
rubber-stamps a corporate
footprint with each stride.
Small feet make light marks
that map a child-day’s worth
of objectives and detours.
Sand is bucketed into castles,
spaded into moats. Shallowkeeled dinghies carve canyons
and dogs dig to China, paw
over paw. In the game of
beach cricket, the number of
runs scored can be counted on
the pitch itself. By dark time,
the wicket is a cold meringue.
In the evening, seining nets
leave lattice-prints, and
nursery-sized flounders
breadcrumb themselves as
they flip-flop, gaping, towards
water.
Conversations in the Tidal Zone
Then it is night
and the high tide
erases the day.
Water over sand,
a fluid roller.
Imagine its bluegreen underside,
rippling like the
belly of a skate.
Softly it flattens,
leaving the beach
darker and harder,
canvas-blank for a
new day.
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
10
Or does it?
If we look closely we see that
the sand is never perfectly
smoothed. The receding tide
leaves its mark in narrow
ridges that fingerprint the
contour of each individual
wave’s edge. What remains
might be a landscape
drawing, beach-width, in
which ranges and ranges
of mountains are lightly
sketched, peaks and valleys
overlapping.
Or it might be a self-portrait:
the ocean drawing itself upon
the sand.
Or, it might be a kind of
language: littoral meanings
made in lines of finegrained script to be felt with
fingertips, like Braille.
Maybe the lines
are composed
of numbers, not
words, and these
are the sea’s
accounts. For
there is commerce
here, in the tidal
zone. The ocean
redistributes
the land, quietly
stealing away
mountains of
sand from one
beach and adding
them to another.
In the tidal zone, the sea
leaves scatterings that might
be its treasures or its trash:
thorny urchins and velvety
weed, lengths of Neptune’s
necklace, Chinamen’s
fingernails with rainbowed
half-moons, emptied crabs
and the foetal bodies of dead
seahorses. The sea departs
on time, and stragglers are
left behind. Sometimes the
beach is strewn with gelid
blobs, claret or clear, the most
dangerous ones trailing blue
kite-strings.
It leaves objects that might be
a reproach, like white biscuits
of Eski lid, bait-box straps,
bleaching beer cans, or a
fragment of net ribboning the
neck of a cormorant.
In the tidal zone, the sea
paints with its absence and its
presence. Mussel shells are
mauve on the low tide rocks,
until water returns to slick
them black.
Into the tidal zone, the sea will
sometimes consent to deliver
the messages of others. It
might beach bottled notes. Or
more cryptic missives, such
as the one delivered to David
Howie of Robbins Island,
Bass Strait, in August of 1845.
To Howie, the sea presented a
rosewood couch. Lying on its
back at the high water mark,
it might have looked like a
gift, even with its legs weedtangled and its upholstery
sodden. But Howie could read
the language of shipwreck,
and knew he was being called
to action.
The tidal zone is a mural
twice-daily painted over. It is
a living conversation, waterfreshened, that never comes
to an end.
Tragedies are staged here,
like the strandings that leave
people feeling small and tired
amid decomposing stacks of
whale. But there are comedies
too. A huge and pale haired
seamonster spreads its lifeless
limbs over a wide, remote
beach and makes the front
pages of the paper, leaving
everyone flummoxed until
the behemoth is identified as
an artfully decaying blob of
cetacean blubber.
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
11
the work
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
12
tracy
gumm
Dilly Bowl
Huon veneered plywood
70h 300dia
This piece has been
inspired by traditional
indigenous practices. Traditionally, woven bags
were used to collect food
from the tidal zone. Dilly Bowl references
tradition in its wovenlike form, and uses
cutting edge technology
in its manufacture. It is
supplied flat-packed and
the end user participates
in creating the final form.
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
13
sally brown
Strand bench seat
found rope and timber, stainless steel
450h 1900w 350d
I am increasingly
interested in using
found materials in
my work; the timber
and rope used in
this piece are typical
of materials offered
up by the sea. The
natural patina of
the found materials
gives the piece a
visual and tactile
interest, and a
coastal aesthetic.
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
14
karin
beaumont
Renewal (detail)
sterling silver, titanium, 9ct gold
variable dimensions
Inspired by the diverse
beauty and intriguing
form of microscopic
plankton in the Southern
Ocean, I have used
silversmithing to create
a set of wearable objects
that invite the audience
to question their
perceptions of our natural
environment and their
place within it. Renewal
embodies the constant
movement of plankton,
as the individual pieces
can move away with the
wearer, be returned,
and the installation rearranged and renewed
over time.
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
15
pippa
dickson
Variable Coupling
plywood
440h 600w 2450d
While researching notions of liminal space and
transit areas I became fascinated with pioneering
aircraft and the early transportation history
in Tasmania. The form of this bench seat was
inspired by the dynamism of early flying boats
that landed on the Derwent River. In plan view the
‘x’ represents the apparent stasis of the spinning
propeller blade and in elevation the curve reflects
the wave generated as the craft lands.
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
16
robert edge
Surf Table
toughened glass, powder
coated mild steel rod
420h 1300w 800d
Surfing has fed my
ongoing fascination
with the movement,
power, sheer beauty
and sometimes terror
of the ocean. This
table is an abstraction
of the moment when
a wave breaks on the
beach or reef - the glass
representing the surface
moments before the
wave breaks and the base
representing the chaos
and energy created when
the lip of the wave hits
the surface.
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
17
belinda
holloway
Flotsam, Jetsam, Ligan
remolded HDPE
dimensions variable
The giant tentacles
of the deep sea
creature engulf our
shore with plastic
debris, sometimes
killing wildlife,
making our shores
ugly, some taking
one hundred years
to break down and
disintegrate. Gone
are the lazy days
of gathering just
driftwood from
the shores.
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
18
linda
fredheim
D’Entrecasteaux
sassafras, eucalypt,
plywood, laminate
1550h 450w 450d
Whilst reading
the journal of
D’Entrecasteaux’s
vessel Recherche,
I became aware of
how it was for the
expedition, sailing
200 years ago in
uncharted waters.
Nowadays exploring
the bays of the
D’Entrecasteaux
Channel is relatively
straightforward,
but the effects of
the tide must still
be accounted for.
Just as in the past,
mishaps can still
occur...
19
chanchal foxen
This work is made
from material washed
up from the sea yet
its shape references
both land and sea. The
woven kelp creates an
intricate pattern with
delicate shadows, a
split in its side alludes
to what it once may
have contained.
Pod
kelp, Macrocystis prifera
285h 700w 285d
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
20
patrick
hall
With numb lips we screamed our ownership into the teeth of the gale - a native
tongue swallowed and swept away. Driven relentlessly on by the lonely howl,
nets of canvas and hemp lash the clouds to service. With flags waving, planted like
weeds, we partitioned the crowded emptiness, marking our deeds and lost voices
with graven names, tattooed on the bleached bones of paradise’s bounty.
Bounty Cabinet (detail)
plywood, glass, acrylic, collected bones
1450h 900w 500d
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
21
dean
chatwin
Shack Stacks
painted mdf
variable dimensions
Drawing inspiration
from the shack/holiday
culture and the informal
lifestyle associated
with it, Shack Stacks uses
playful forms and bright
colours to evoke images
of the Australian beach.
Consisting of fifteen
house units, and three
roofs, Shack Stacks can
be arranged in a variety
of ways like building
blocks. Their small size
makes them particularly
suitable for storing items
collected during walks
along the coast.
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
22
jon
hemming
Tiger Head Table
huon pine, tasmanian oak
900h 1700w 350d
I have always been fascinated by contrast,
and since my recent move from living in
the centre of the city to the beachside, the
contrasts that confront me have changed
dramatically. The rocks off Tiger Head seem
to survive the inexorable beating that the
sea colliding with the land creates.
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
sheena lowe
Waterline Vases
slip cast ceramic
460h 200dia
The Waterline Vase series
has been designed for
domestic or corporate
spaces and offers a choice
of stand alone pieces for
the home or collection
of related forms for use
throughout an office
environment. The series
has been inspired by the
colours of the sea, my
wanderings as a beach
comber and the tracks of
shorebirds; all, a constant
pleasure to explore.
23
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
24
ross
straker
Chaise
laminated plywood, stainless
steel, kiln polished glass
720h 1900w 700d
This piece is composed of two elements;
the fluid line of the plywood and the
geometric mass of the layered foam.
These elements are very different,
yet they complement each other and
ultimately converge to form a single,
unified entity, just like the coastline.
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
25
brendan
sharpe
Sparkling Shores
solid myrtle and burl
myrtle veneer, slumped
glass, aluminium
900h 700w 700d
Tasmania’s grand natural beauty
inspires me and my pieces reflect the
unique environment of my island
home. This piece relates to my father’s
love of the beach and beach culture,
following his emigration from Scotland
to Australia. As a young boy, he lived in
the Gorbals, Glasgow’s poorest area,
then came to the spectacular coastline
of Australia. Throughout his life, he
embraced these ‘sparkling shores’.
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
kevin perkins
Coot Low Table (detail)
Tasmanian oak, King William
Pine coot finished in artist’s
oil and paint
440h 1600w 400d
I live near the tidal
part of the Huon River
where I love to kayak
and observe the local
wildlife, particularly
the waterfowl. This
Tasmanian oak table top
billet had weather checks
that suggested the wake
of a swimming coot.
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
belinda
marquis
27
Swell
slip cast ceramic vessels
dimensions variable
The curves and
undulations of the
coastal landscape are
reflected in the ceramic
forms of Swell; forms
where light and shadow
play on the gentle rise
and fall of the curves and
where the eye, hand and
mind can wander.
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
28
denise ava
robinson
‘Nature is visible spirit,
and spirit is invisible nature’
Friedrich Schelling 1797
Howard Murphy when
speaking of Yirrkala
Artist Galuma Maymuru
stated “art is an act of
memory and a process of
transmission… a spiritual
and aesthetic exploration
of homeland.”
Part and Particle: Panel 1 (detail)
coralline algae and oil paint
on hand made paper
3 panels each 400h 1100w
Early morning walks
in the tidal zone of
my homeland provide
visible references to
the invisible, giving
boundless inspiration
for my own art making.
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
29
john
smith
Sting-Ray
double fibreglass shells finished with
2-pack pearlescent polyurethane paint
chair 725h 855w 1030d
footstool 360h 855w 680d
The Sting chair and Ray footstool
have an obvious form extraction
from the marine creature, shaped
to comfortably accommodate the
human body and are intended for
use on decks with a sea view. The
pieces are each made from two
fibreglass shells, bonded together
to form hollow compound
torsion-box structures that are
strong but light in weight. The
chairs can also easily be stacked.
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
30
benton van
dorsselaer
Peninsula Bench
mild steel, reclaimed timber,
stainless steel rod
bench 400h 1800w 400d
seat 400h 600w 400d
I wanted to create an
outdoor setting that can
weather and become an
integral element in the
landscape - the same
landscape one can
admire whilst using the
pieces. The materials
used have been formed
by nature, aged by nature
and they will ultimately
return to nature.
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
george harris
Sequential boards
milled by bandsaw
have been arranged in
a pattern resembling
ripples in sand.
Externally, the Huon
Pine is grey and
weathered, but reveals
its beautiful golden
grain on cutting.
Often half buried
or submerged, the
shape of the boards
can be visualized as
a watermark, then
confirmed by the
progress of the saw.
Elements of the design
are inspired by the
moon, the fundamental
driver of the tides.
31
Low Table
Huon Pine, kiln formed glass
400h 1200w 2000d
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
32
nick
proud
Flotsam Beach Chair
wood, steel, copper
and found items
2500h 800w 800d
I designed this piece
in response to the
possibility of dramatic
changes to climate
and sea level. Utilising
existing materials,
recycling and makingdo, this chair embraces
challenges with humour
as it is designed to rise
and fall with the ebb and
flow of the tides.
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
33
artist/designer
biographies
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
34
artist/designer biographies
Karin Beaumont completed
a PhD in Zoology in 2002
researching microscopic
plankton in Antarctic
waters and their role in
climate change. Inspired by
microscopic patterns and
forms, she began silversmithing in 2003 and has
since completed a Diploma in
Art, Craft, Design. Her work
has been exhibited nationally
in the Waterhouse Natural
History Art Prize, the Conrad
Jupiters Art Prize, the World
Year of Physics Art Prize, and
the City of Hobart Art Prize,
as well as internationally at
the Plankton as Art exhibition,
Santa Fe, USA.
Karin is interested in the
nexus between science and
art to better communicate
environmental and social
issues. She has presented
lectures and written articles
on this subject and is a
member of art and science
organisations in Australia and
overseas. She is interested
in creating jewellery that
communicates and facilitates
interaction with the wearer, as
well as incorporating jewellery
into installation works of art.
for more info >
www.oceanides.com.au
Pippa Dickson is recognised
Sally Brown graduated from
the University of Tasmania’s
School of Art in 2004 with an
Honours degree in Furniture
Design. She lives in Cygnet
and works from her studio
based there.
Over the past 5 years she has
participated in a number of
group exhibitions in Tasmania
and interstate. Her work is
very sculptural, and has a
natural, organic aesthetic.
Inspiration comes from her
surroundings - Tasmania’s
natural environment - and
from experimenting with
materials. She has an ongoing
interest in the potential of
textiles in furniture, and
frequently incorporates textile
techniques and materials
into her work, focusing on
the detail and pattern in
the natural world, which
reappears in an abstracted
form. Gentle forms, natural
colours and strong use
of pattern and texture are
characteristic of her style.
Dean Chatwin is currently
undertaking a PhD at the
University of Tasmania’s
School of Art. His recent
work has focused on the
environment, and highlights
the interaction between
nature and society within
urbanised areas.
His sculptural/design practice
is a means through which he
expresses feelings on issues
that draw his attention, as
he believes there is a need
for light hearted objects as
a foil to the seriousness of
modern life. Much of his
work incorporates a sense
of whimsy, and rather than
designing purely for function,
he aims to create work that
charms and captures people’s
imagination.
for more info >
for more info >
[email protected]
[email protected]
nationally both for her
unique furniture designs
and her ability as a project
manager and design
facilitator. She is Project
Officer Design at Arts
Tasmania, establishing
and coordinating Young
Designers Month for three
consecutive years and Design
Island from 2005.
She completed her PhD in
furniture design in 2007
and subsequently undertook
a residency in Amsterdam
exploring glass while also
expanding her design
networks. Pippa is currently
in negotiations to have two
earlier designs put into
production by a well known
Australian manufacturer
and she is also interested in
working with architects on
site specific installations.
for more info >
www.pippadickson.com
35
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
36
Robert Edge graduated with
Chanchal Foxen completed
a Bachelor of Fine Arts from
the University of Tasmania
in 2005 and is currently
undertaking a Masters
Degree at the University of
Tasmania, working on project
that involves designing a
site specific beach house,
its interior and the indoor/
outdoor furniture.
a Bachelor of Fine Art with
1st class Honours at the
University of Tasmania in
2002. She works as an artist,
designer-maker and teacher
and has spent two of the
last four years exploring her
passion for the landscape of
her origins while living and
travelling in Europe.
Before venturing into
furniture design 5 years ago,
he was, and continues to be
self employed, working in
the building industry since
1975. He has designed and
built houses both locally and
overseas and continues to
enjoy working in both areas
of designing and building as
well as maintaining a strong
interest in interior design.
Currently Chanchal is
completing a work for
STRAND ephemera 2007 in
Queensland. Recently she
has completed two public
artwork commissions in
Tasmania, been an artistin-residence for the Dept of
Education and has had work
touring in the International
Shoebox Sculpture award.
She has work in private
collections both national and
international.
for more info >
[email protected]
Linda Fredheim graduated
with a BFA (Design in Wood)
from the University of
Tasmania in 1992. She lives
in Hobart where she runs her
own practice from a studio
shared with partner, Stuart
Houghton.
She works across a range
of practices including
one off exhibition and
commission pieces,
designing for manufacture
and limited production as
well as exhibition and project
coordination. Her primary
area of interest in furniture
design and making is in the
function and associations
of storage and collecting,
with her most recent work
investigating the naming and
mapping of Tasmania, by 18th
and 19th century explorers
and travellers.
for more info >
[email protected]
Since 1992 she has
participated in numerous
group exhibitions nationally
and internationally, and her
work is represented in a
number of public and private
collections.
for more info >
http://home.austarnet.com.
au/linda_f
artist/designer biographies
George Harris, 52, lives
Tracy Gumm was born in
Burnie, Tasmania. After an
initial career in Marketing,
which took her to the UK for
6 years, Tracy recognized a
burning desire in her to work
with her hands designing and
making furniture. She follows
in her families’ long tradition
of involvement in the timber
and furniture trades.
She has recently finished
her course at the Australian
School of Fine Furniture in
Tasmania and has established
Irminsul, with a view to
creating contemporary, well
designed giftware, production
pieces, giftware and
one-off custom pieces.
for more info >
www.irminsul.com.au
Patrick Hall graduated
from the Centre for the Arts,
University of Tasmania in
1986. Hall’s practice is a
varied one ranging from
limited production pieces
to public art commissions
but with a primary focus on
one-off furniture pieces for
exhibition. Hall describes
his working method as “an
idiosyncratic hybrid, which
is based in craft, is informed
by design, but deals with ‘fine
art’ concerns”.
In 2004 Hall was selected for
Arts Tasmania’s inaugural
Tasmanian Monograph
Series, Patrick Hall written by
Grace Cochrane, and in 2005
Patrick received the University
of Tasmania Foundation
Graduate Award. Hall is
represented in numerous
collections including the
Tasmanian Museum and Art
Gallery, Powerhouse Museum,
and the National Gallery of
Australia.
for more info >
Patrick has an extensive
exhibition history with
numerous solo exhibitions
and group shows, including
Silent Recording, 2003,
National Sculpture Prize, 2005,
Transformations: The Language
of Craft, 2005, and Design
Island: Contemporary Design
from Tasmania, 2004. Through
Despard Gallery, Hobart
Patrick has also participated
in Sculpture Objects Functional Art
(SOFA) Chicago and New York.
www.hallison.com
in Hobart and has been
a woodworker for 25
years. Twenty years ago he
bought back a small part
of his original family farm
at Sandfly, establishing a
workshop in a building he
relocated from the rear of the
Cascade Brewery site in South
Hobart.
He makes furniture and a
range of smaller products
in Tasmanian timbers. His
unique trivets were acquired
for the Tasmanian Wood
Design Collection in 2006.
for more info >
georgeharris854@hotmail.
com
37
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
38
Jon Hemming is a
Sheena Lowe moved to
Belinda Marquis - Both a
graduate of the Furniture
Design programme at the
University of Tasmania
completing a Masters Degree
in 1994. Since that time he
has continued to practice as
a designer maker working
mainly from Designed Objects
Tasmania in North Hobart.
Jon is a partner with Colin
Brett in HAB Furniture Design
working to commission.
Tasmania in 1989 from the
mid North Coast of NSW,
to study at the University of
Tasmania completing a BFA in
1990 and Graduate Diploma in
Art Craft and Design in 1991.
She currently lives and works
in the Huon Valley, producing
a range of designed objects
and teaching part time.
Lowe has participated in
numerous group exhibitions
and her recent solo
exhibitions include Waterline
and On Show in 2005 in
Hobart, and Celebrate Australia
in Singapore in 2004.
Ceramist and a Furniture
Designer–Maker, Marquis
recently gained first class
Honours in Fine arts at the
University of Tasmania and is
currently undertaking a PhD.
Marquis was a Finalist in the
City of Hobart Art Prize 2004
and Object: New Design 2005
National Graduate Exhibition,
where she received the Object
Award for Studio Based
Practice. Over the past few
years, Marquis has frequently
exhibited in galleries in
Tasmania and Sydney and her
work is represented in private
collections nationally.
Jon is the Coordinator of and
teaches in the Wood Design
programme at TAFE in
Hobart.
for more info >
Belinda Holloway is a former
teacher, dress designer and
gallery owner currently
studying Fine Arts at the
University of Tasmania’s
School of Art, in Hobart
majoring in furniture design.
Her work is informed by the
challenging task of finding
alternative uses for materials
that can be recycled easily and
sustainably.
jonhemming@iprimus.
com.au
for more info >
[email protected].
edu.au
She has undertaken
numerous public and private
commissions, with her work
featured in national and
international corporate spaces
as well as being represented
in several national public
collections and numerous
private international
collections.
for more info >
www.sheenalowe
designermaker.com.au
Within her multidisciplinary
artistic practice, Marquis
works across a diverse range
of mediums. Her designs
centre on curvaceous forms
and seductively sensuous
surfaces that engender the
desire to reach out and touch.
Marquis’s art practice explores
the boundaries between
sculptural form, ceramics and
furniture design through the
creation of works that, whilst
addressing utility, have a
strong sculptural presence.
for more info >
[email protected]
artist/designer biographies
Brendan Sharpe designs
Denise Ava Robinson
Kevin Perkins - Since his
first solo exhibition in 1978,
Perkins had exhibited solo
and within group shows
both nationally and
internationally, most recently
at SOFA, Chicago.
Perkins has been
commissioned for some
of the most prestigious
furniture suites in Australia,
the most recent of which has
been the furniture pieces
for St Patrick’s Cathedral in
Parramatta NSW completed in
2006. His work is represented
in many Australian and
international public and
private collections.
for more info >
[email protected]
Nick Proud was born in
England in 1954. He qualified
as a silver and goldsmith in
1972, before subsequently
gaining a degree in dentistry
in 1977.
He emigrated to Tasmania
in 1983 where he now lives
in North Hobart with his
wife Di. Having spent his
formative years learning
how to inject, drill and
extract teeth, Nick has used
these skills to advantage
producing occasional pieces
of quirky furniture. He is
a self taught woodworker
with an interest in modified,
rustic and bush furn(art)ture,
utilising recycled materials
and minimal wastage timber
methods. He has participated
in a number of group
exhibitions including One
Tree, 2001, and Go - Designed for
Production, 2002.
graduated in 2000 with a BFA
(Hons) from the University
of Tasmania’s School of
Visual and Performing Arts in
Launceston. In 1998-99, she
spent a year working at the
University of Hawaii School
of Art and in 2001 was a
recipient of the Arts Tasmania
Wilderness Residency. She
has been exhibiting in group
shows locally, nationally
and internationally since
the late 1990’s and has also
undertaken a number of
community art and cultural
projects including Highway 1,
a 2003 Ten Days on the Island
Project and an Artist in
Schools residency in George
Town in 2005.
Her recent exhibitions include
her solo show Part and Particle
in 2007 at Burnie Regional
Art Gallery, and the group
exhibitions Register: Tasmanian
Artists 2006 at the Tasmanian
Museum and Art Gallery
and Making Relations at CAST
Gallery, Hobart and Devonport
Regional Art Gallery.
for more info >
for more info >
[email protected]
[email protected]
contemporary furniture from
his studio in the historic
Georgian township of
Richmond, Tasmania, where
he lives beside its convict-built
stone-arched bridge, which
is the oldest one in Australia.
Brendan is Tasmanian-born
of Celtic parentage and chose
Tasmania’s relaxed lifestyle
after a long time living and
working in London.
He designs and makes
work for exhibition, on
commission, for limited
production and with local
manufacturers through his
business, Sharpe Design.
“I want my furniture to
be practical and elegant
and I prefer a light-hearted,
personal approach to
design. My furniture also
allows me to share what I
value with others and I want
my work to give pleasure on
an aesthetic, functional and
emotional level.”
for more info >
www.sharpedesign.com.au
39
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
40
John Smith has taught
Ross Straker graduated from
design for the past 37 years,
previously establishing and
heading up the Furniture
Design program at the
Tasmanian School of Art,
University of Tasmania; but
now focussing on his own
practice of design and public
artwork through his ‘Design
in the Round’ partnership
with Penny Smith.
the Design in Wood program
at the Tasmania School of Art,
University of Tasmania with
a BFA in 1985 and a Master of
Fine Arts in Design in 1992.
Since 2002 Ross has been
teaching at TAFE in Hobart,
and in 2006 began teaching
furniture design at the
University of Tasmania. In
2003 he taught at the Centre
of Furniture Craftsmanship
in Maine and at the Rhode
Island School of Design,
and in 2005 was an artist in
residence in the at the San
Diego State University.
His work is represented in
major public and private
collections both nationally
and internationally, having
received several design and
competition awards for
furniture design.
for more info >
[email protected]
Ross is a founding member
of the Designer-Makers
Co-operative established in
1986 and, for many years,
a member of its Board of
Directors. Currently he is a
Board Member of Design
Objects Tasmania. Since
1983 Ross has exhibited
consistently nationally
and internationally. He is
represented in numerous
collections, and has been a
recipient of several major
prizes including joint winner
of the Premier’s Award at
the 2006 Tasmanian Wood
Design Biennial.
for more info >
[email protected]
Benton van Dorsselaer
formed Benton van Dorsselaer
Design in 1997. Based in
Battery Point, Hobart, it has
grown into a vibrant design
practice specialising in oneoff commission furniture.
The business continues
to diversify & offers
contemporary design
solutions for corporate,
hospitality, tourism &
advertising industries.
The design ethos of Benton
van Dorsselaer Design is
simplicity & function.
for more info >
[email protected]
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
41
exhibition
contributors
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
42
Astrid Wootton is the General
Manager of the Design CentreTasmania in Launceston,
where she manages and
curates both the Tasmanian
Wood Design Collection,
and the Centre’s busy
program of contemporary
design exhibitions. Since
her appointment in 2003
she has coordinated two
national exhibition tours,
curated sixteen exhibitions
and managed numerous
exhibitions by guest curators.
Astrid’s research interests
encompass seventeenthcentury Italian painting,
nineteenth-century porcelains
and contemporary textiles and
wood design.
Astrid represents Tasmania on
the national body Australian
Craft and Design Centres
(formerly ADCO), is Secretary
of Museums Australia
(Tasmania) and Deputy
Chairman of the Visual Arts
Committee, UTAS. She sits on
the boards of Brand Tasmania,
Fine Timber Tasmania,
and Festivale and has also
recently been appointed to the
Tasmanian Women’s Council.
Linda Fredheim was one
Tony Stuart. After training as
David Travalia is an architect
and has practised as a sole
practitioner in Tasmania
since 1988. As a practitioner
his work has been informed
by an investigation of the
interaction between a search
to understand the human
condition in the context of
the cultural and physical
landscapes of this place.
Whilst having work published
overseas, a primary focus
has been to build places that
are more subtle and quiet
and to solicit a response that
enriches and is engaged with,
this Island.
for more info >
[email protected]
a carpenter a desire to take a
more creative path led Tony
to Tasmania and four years
of Art School in the furniture
design department. Since
graduating in 1987 he has
been involved in designing
and making exhibition
pieces, sculpture, private
and corporate commissions,
tableware products, teaching,
production furniture design,
interior design, architecture
and building.
for more info >
My motivation to design
revolves around function,
material and aesthetics. I am
particularly interested in the
art of construction including
the visible assemblage of
components, the exposure
of joinery and craftsmanship
and the expression of the
underlying geometry. Tony
is currently a partner in
FORM architecture furniture
with architect Polly Bastow.
The business is involved
in domestic architecture,
furniture design for industry
and design/make furniture
commissions.
for more info >
www.designcentre.com.au
of the founding members
of the furniture designers
association and is currently
secretary of the association.
She has been the coordinator
of the previous 4 furniture
designers association’s
exhibitions, is a member
of the Tasmanian Wood
Design Collection Advisory
Board, and a member of both
Contemporary Arts Services
Tasmania’s Programming
panel and its Craft and Design
advisory panel.
for more info >
[email protected]
[email protected]
contributor biographies
Chris Viney is a
Tasmanian freelance
writer and editor with
interests in tourism,
interpretation, environment,
science, art, adventure and
travel-related themes. In
a writing career spanning
25 years, he has published
feature articles and essays,
edited magazines and
produced a variety of
corporate and commercial
writing. Chris Viney
established his full-time
writing and editing business
Pavlov’s Dog in 1993 and
now writes a range of
commissioned work across
the media for a broad
client base in Tasmania
and interstate.
for more info >
www.pavlovsdog.com.au
43
Danielle Wood’s first book,
the award-winning The
Alphabet of Light and Dark, was
set in Tasmania and Western
Australia, with a focus on the
seascapes of Bruny Island.
Her second book, Rosie Little’s
Cautionary Tales for Girls, is
soon to be published in
Italy and the United States.
Danielle is working on a third
novel, Of a Feather, set partly
on Macquarie Island. She also
lectures in creative writing at
the University of Tasmania.
Peter Whyte is a
photographer and graphic
designer specialising in
imagery for graphic designers
and art directors.
for more info > www.
peterwhytephotography.com
for more info >
Kieran Bradley is a Hobart
[email protected]
based graphic designer
and member of Workhorse
Studio, a graphic design
consultancy with experience
in corporate, print, interface
and environmental design
communication for projects
of natural, cultural and
historical significance. Work
history includes projects for
business, government and
community organisations
both locally and nationally.
for more info >
www.workhorse.net.au
tidal zone exhibition catalogue
44
acknowledgements
The Design Centre Tasmania is a contemporay
The curators would like to thanks all the artists,
designers, contributors and supporters for their ideas,
time and enthusiastic assistance.
Exhibition curators
Linda Fredheim and Dr Astrid Wootton
Curatorial advisory panel Tony Stuart, David Travalia and Dr Astrid Wootton
Catalogue essays Chris Viney and Danielle Wood
Catalogue design Kieran Bradley
Catalogue photography
Peter Whyte
(except page 6, Gordon Harrison-Williams; page 9,
for more info > www.
designcentre.com.au
Kieran Bradley; and pages 27 and 28, Philip Kuruvita)
Exhibition assistance Melanie Knight and David Roberts
Exhibition partners
Public sponsors
This exhibition is supported
by Visions of Australia,
an Australian Government
Touring Program supporting
touring exhibitions by
providing funding assistance
for the development and
touring of cultural material
across Australia.
Corporate sponsors
museum and exhibition space
with a mission to support and
sustain Tasmanian Design,
through both the Tasmanian
Wood Design Collection, its
permanent collection
of timber based contemporary
furniture, craft and design,
and with its program of
contemporary design
exhibitions.
The Tasmanian Wood Design
Collection is supported by
the Federal Government’s
Visual Arts and Craft Strategy
through the Australia Council
and Arts Tasmania.
This catalogue was printed
by Foot and Playsted Fine
Printers on a combination
of Impress Silk Art 300/200gsm
and Tudor RP 140gsm
The furniture designers
association was formed in
1995 and its current members
include both well known
and highly acclaimed design
practicioners, as well as
a number of Tasmania’s
talented emerging furniture
designers. Its aim is to
represent, develop and
promote excellence in the
professional practice of
contemporary furniture
design. The fda’s members
exhibit both locally, nationally,
and internationally as
individuals, but also in
the fda’s own biennial
member’s shows.
for more info >
www.fda.com.au