The Why We Create Launch

Guests start to arrive for the launch of the Why We Create series within TRACE at Pin-Up Project Space, Melbourne. Photography James Braund.

Invited guests from a diverse range of fields including Art, Design, IT, Engineering, Law, Media and Education joined the How We Create team for the Lunchtime Launch of the Why We Create Series.

The Why We Create initiative (founded by How We Create and I) seeks to spark a wider conversation about the process and value of design-led thinking in Australia. Interviews, discussions and public forums are occurring parallel to events that will take place across Australia over the next 12 months. The Launch of this series was held within TRACE at Pin-Up Project Space in Melbourne, on 16 May 2012, and marked the close of the exhibition.

Yes that’s me passionately speaking at the event. Photography James Braund.

Norman Johnson from How We Create and Palamont: art in manufacturing launched the series. I gave an intimate presentation into why I create, and the importance of creatives engaging with the wider business community.

Nicholas Rogers (Parameter Space) and Alexi Freeman (Alexi Freeman). Photography James Braund.

Fleur Watson in conversation (Pin-Up Project Space). Photography James Braund.

Gini Lee (Melbourne University) through Scale Screen. Photography James Braund.

Matt Ward with Martyn Hook (background). Photography James Braund.

Joanna Bosse, Gini Lee (Back) and Christina Waterson. Photography James Braund.

Simone LeAmon in focus. Photography James Braund.

Patricia Lee (Back)( Palamont), Alexi Freeman (Alexi Freeman), Norman Johnson (Back) (Palamont and How We Create) and Nicholas Rogers (Parameter Space). Photography James Braund.

Guests enjoyed good conversation and a beautiful selection of light tastes created by our special local friends Cibi (head, hands, heart) accompanied by refreshing organic apple juice and Pimms cocktails all served by the fabulous Boys and Girls team.

Special Thanks to Melbourne based photographer James Braund who documented the event exquisitely and of course to the team at How We Create.

Brisbane Sydney Cairns

James Street Fortitude Valley, Brisbane.

It’s been another world-wind week of site visits, travel, more site visits and a bit of R&R in North Queensland. Early in the week, Norman Johnson (from How We Create and Palamont) and I hit the pavement to check out potential spaces for the upcoming Brisbane Indesign installation of TRACE. And yes we might have found one…

TRACE Potential Space! Joy!

Next it was onto Sydney to site inspect Palamont’s latest project…One Central Park.

Palamont – Art in Manufacturing is currently involved in this major construction project designed by Jean Nouvel and Sir Norman Foster.

On Site: One Central Park Apartments, Sydney.

Inside the Atrium

Palamont has been instrumental in designing, manufacturing and delivering external planters for the ground breaking vertical gardens that distinguish this project.

Norman inspects the site.

And then it was on to Cairns… Expression of Interest… Mission Beach… breath…rest… and relax.

Sunrise over Mission Beach.

What a great way to wake up…

Max Horner (b1950-2009)

Can you describe a person’s contribution throughout their life in twenty or so words?

If you have never met a person can you (sift through pages on the internet, perhaps interview a few people, maybe talk with a couple of them on the phone about the subject’s life and then) write about them? We can try, but then you are bound to always fall short. The power and the problem of words is that to the unfamiliar such a description may appear complete and factual.

So let me write simply about my experience of Max Horner.

Max influenced the way I think and make. As my first Year Lecturer of Design in Architecture at the University of Queensland in 1993, he demanded that we (as students) work hard to truly understand the implications of our ideas as architects. He asked more questions than gave answers; he challenged everything including the way we thought, the way we drew, the tools that we selected to make a mark on a page and the way we spoke about our projects… And for that I will be forever truly grateful.

If you call out a persons name I believe you bring the memories of that person back to you. You can almost hear their voice, recall their mannerisms and the funny moments you shared.

And so I call his name now.

Can you describe a person’s contribution throughout their life in twenty or so words?

Yes you can reduce it down to just one.

IMMEASURABLE

Brisbane Insiders

Brisbane Insider

With Brisbane Indesign (BID) only 53 Days away, creatives all ’round town are abuzz with planning, making, and collaborating to ensure it is an event to remember!

I was invited by Indesign to be a Brisbane Insider, that is, share my personal experience of Brisbane including places I like to snack, hangout etc. in a cool one page format.

I especially liked Designer Surya Graf's Insider Substation love...I often run into him at Cup...

... I enjoyed the perspective of Interior Designer Erin Dore (I would like to meet Erin...Maybe at BID!)...

...and always Architect Robert Riddel's eloquence and beautiful handwriting.

RESPECT!

Check out all of the Brisbane Insiders and their unique insights at Brisbane Indesign!

TRACE The Opening

Trace Opening Speeches: Norman Johnson (How We Create and Palamont), Fleur Watson (Pin-Up Project Space) and yes that's cheeky me. Photography by Tobias Titz.

Pin Up Project Space. Photography Tobias Titz.

I was so excited to finally share the works in Trace at Pin-Up Architecture and Design Project Space, Melbourne.  This opportunity to exhibit was made possible through the team at Pin-Up Project space. The generous support of How We Create (in mentorship, feedback, prototyping and sponsorship) ensured an amazing exhibition that is truly my best and most inspirational to date. After completing Official Duties I was able to enjoy catching up with the guests who attended the Trace opening.

Dear friends and colleagues Pawel Zab and Brett Duke. Photography by Tobias Titz.

New Scale Screen in the foreground was assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body. Photography by Tobias Titz.

Norman Johnson (How We Create and Manager of Palamont) and Patricia Lee (Talented Product Design Officer at Palamont) also prototyped TRACE bracelet for the exhibition...Stay Tuned for details! Photography by Tobias Titz.

The beautiful Amy Hoffman (Light Project) with Simone Steel (Pin-up) who assisted in the lighting and installation of Trace respectively. Photography by Tobias Titz.

Ewan McEoin (Studio Propeller), Kate Rhodes (RMIT Design Hub) and Laura Sullivan (Pin Up). Photography by Tobias Titz.

Looking back through the space. Photography by Tobias Titz.

A very special thank you to Tobias Titz who captured the opening Night beautifully. Please see more of Tobias’ great work at his website.

TRACE Installation

We Begin

We unpacked the works and laid them out within the substantial space of the gallery. Some of the works were very very new and so it was the first time I had witnessed the parts together.

Kate Riggs follows my set out drawing of the NEW work Scale Screen.

It took us three intensive days and a few late nights to install TRACE. 

At the end of a late night Martyn Hook surveys the progress. My hands shake as I take this photo. I am so tired.

The works in the exhibition ranged from very small to quite large. A team of people worked with me to complete the installation. They included Kate Riggs (RMIT Architecture Student/Pin-up Student Assistant), Simone Steel (Pin-Up In-turn), The Martyn Hook ( Pin-Up co-Founder/Architect and Melbourne Editor of AR Magazine), Fleur Watson (Pin-Up co-Founder/Curator/Former Editor of Monument Magazine), and my dear friend and jeweller; the beautiful Anna Varendorff.

THANK YOU so Much!!!

Nearly Finished...

Owen Jones Research

Original Drawings by Owen Jones within the V&A Museum Collection

Back in London…. on to research at The V&A Museum. Architect and Designer, Owen Jones is celebrated for his detailed documentation and reproduction of mosaics and tile work patterns from around the world. He carried this work out during mid 19th Century. Detailed publications and original drawings for color plates of his work are part of the V&A Collection and include ‘Drawing of tiles at the Alhambra’ and ‘Original drawings for The Grammar of Ornament’ published in 1856.

I was fortunate to spend time within The Victoria and Albert Museum’s Prints Room to view first hand Owen Jones’ original drawings. His methodical care and attention to document the patterns was striking. He drew them in a way that allowed the individual elements, their repetition and the underlying structure of the pattern to be understood. There was just enough information and color to understand the very complex patterns, without too much to confuse and overload the page and the eye.

The V&A Library and Reading Room

In the V&A’s Library I viewed the published copies of Owen Jones’ ‘The Grammar of Ornament’, that they hold in their collection. The plates within the book were half the size of the original drawings but still retained the clarity, color and quality of the originals. It was great to see his work at this time. It was made all the more valuable and meaningful by my first hand experience of patterns within each of the places I had just visited through my Winston Churchill Fellowship Research.

Owen Jones' Chinese Patterns No 01 from The Grammar of Ornament , The V&A

Owen Jones' Persian Patterns No 01 from The Grammar of Ornament, The V&A

The Blue Mosque

Main Entry to Courtyard of Blue Mosque

Within the Courtyard there is a central waterFountain

Preparing to enter: photo by Arda

Arda and I prepared to walk into The Blue Mosque by covering our head and hair with shawls. We did this in the plain entry Courtyard. The Courtyard was spacious (the same size as the Mosque’s interior) and soothing; lined with colonnades on all sides with special carved stone wall niches and incorporating a very small amount of color.

and then Inside

Dome Above

Paint work and Iznik tiling with stone work

Spatial layering: surface, form, light and shade

I found the interior of The Blue Mosque overwhelming. Their was pattern in so many forms, materials, scales and surfaces. I could hear ‘visual sound’ all around emitted from every surface!

Pattern, colour and texture everywhere

There was painted pattern within the decorated domes above and thousands of Iznik tiles covering the walls, vaults and columns, and highly geometric ironwork and wooden inlay doors.

Entry Courtyard Relief: Straightened

Colonnade: Straightened

It was a relief to return to the simplicity of the Courtyard.

Courtyard entry way

I know this photo is lopsided! I did not correct it like I did the other ones. All of the photos I took once I left the interior of the Blue Mosque were off-line or askew! I was quite affected by the experience.

 

SALT

SALT Main Gallery Space/Foyer

SALT is a non-profit Institution located in Istanbul. It has Exhibition spaces, Forum, Cinema, Café, Shop and Garden within its Beyoğlu headquarters that opened in early 2011.

It’s aim is to explore issues in visual and material culture within art, design, architecture and urbanism and cultivate innovative programs for research and experimental thinking. It has become widely recognized as a site for critical debate through its public programmes.

Walk in Cinema

Looking Back Towards the Entry

Beyoğlu main mall beyond

Previously an apartment building, the redesign for contemporary use was completed by Mimarlar Tasarım, the office of Aga Khan Award for Architecture winner Han Tümertekin.

Very cool space to hang out in within the centre of Beyoğlu.

Guangdong Museum, Guangzhou

Museum Facade

Pearl River side to the South

Main Entry Court

I made a brief stop in the sub-tropical city of Guangzhou (Canton) to visit The Guangdong Museum. The Guangdong Museum was designed by Hong Kong based Rocco Architects and completed in 2010. They won the project through an International design competition (by invitation only) held in 2004.

The project was originally conceived of as an Objet d’Art, such as a secret lacquered box or sacred bowl realised at the scale of the city. Over time it is not only envisioned to collect and reflect treasures but to also be accepted as a treasure and cultural icon by the people of the Pearl River Delta. Both the treatment of the main facade and the interior spatial arrangement and dynamism reference the ‘ivory puzzle ball’; a treasured multilayered and concentrically cut orb. The objects on display in the museum show the local history of the province and aim to strengthen cultural identity.

On arrival, the most surprising thing was that the main entry court did not face the Pearl River. After visiting the river it made sense. At the point where the Museum adjoins the River there is an island that blocks clear access and views. The entry court addresses the main visual axis that runs through the city to the water, broken physically by a number of major cross roads and a Sports Centre. At the water’s end of the axis is a large public park and court lined with major cultural landmark buildings including the Guangdong Museum (Rocco Architects) and the Guangzhou Opera House (Zaha Hadid).

Visitors entering the Museum are limited to 3000 per day and so on busy days the wait can be quite lengthy.

The Museum Undercroft framing the development and base of the Canton Tower to the South. Check out the number of cranes!

Inside: The Central Atrium

Perforated screen defining central atrium

Once inside I really enjoyed the feeling of being in the central atrium space. It was light, airy and beautifully layered. The break out alcoves adjacent to the entry points to the main gallery spaces were also a joy. They offered a new perspective of this city of Ghangzhou. Through perforated screens, cut outs and framing one could get a sense of the immensity of the new city rapidly exploding on the skyline.

Screens to the City