DEPTH of FIELD

Depth of Field written by Kirril Shields for (Inside) #72 pg 96 -100.

I am proud to share with you an article about my practice just published within the pages of (Inside) #72 Magazine; called Depth of Field, written by Kirril Shields.

It is special to have a treasured moment like this. To share with a wide audience, listen to what other people make of my projects, to reflect, to gain perspective and celebrate the people who contribute to my practice.

Beautiful layout by Niche Media. Special Thanks to Leanne Amodeo (Editor) and Kirril Shields (Writer).

Thank you to my photographers Jon Linkins, Christopher Frederick Jones, David Sandison and Tobias Titz. All have imagery featured in this article (captured over many years). Thank you to clients and collaborators such as Aurecon and Cox Rayner Architects.

Thank you to the makers and suppliers including Palamont: art in manufacturing, Rockpress, Everything Metal, B&S Washers and Reverse Garbage.

Thank you to the venues that hosted the exhibitions and installations including The Brisbane Convention Centre, The State Library of Queensland and Pin-up Project Space, Melbourne.

Thank you to the organisations that have supported research, development, realisation and exhibition of the works featured via Grants, Fellowships and Sponsorship including Arts Queensland, The Brisbane City Council, The Winston Churchill Fellowship Memorial Trust, The Australian Council for the Arts and Howwecreate.com.

Wow!

Thank you to the people that inspire me; peers and confidants. My love to family and friends. Such support!

Yes the list is long. It would be remiss of me to say I did it all on my own. It does actually take many passionate individuals and organisations and in-depth conversation and massive amounts of true belief. 

Inside #72 Cover

You can read the full Depth of Field article online at Australiandesignreview.com or BETTER STILL head to your news stand and get a copy in the flesh. I have to say (Inside) #72 presents a wealth of Australian Design talent including interviews with Kate Stokes, John Goulder, and Design by Them just to name a few…

2012 Queensland Smart Design Awards

The Qld Smart Design Fellow Nominees ( L > R): Anne-Marie Willis, Christina Waterson, Shane Thompson, Natalie Wright and Kevin Finn. Photography Darcy Clarke.

The Queensland Smart Design Awards recognise the importance of design to business, lifestyle and innovation through the presentation of A Queensland Smart Design Fellowship and an Emerging Design Leader Award. The Queensland Smart Design Fellowship is given to an individual who has significantly contributed to developing a design culture within Queensland. Entrants may be from any industry or sector.

I personally believe that you are only as good as the people around you. It was therefore an absolute honour to be shortlisted for the Design Fellowship alongside such committed Queensland individuals. Each of the Nominees have an undeniable passion for design-led thinking and an openness to share, tempered with direct experience and intellect. The nominees were  Kevin Finn, Shane Thompson, Christina Waterson (Yes that’s me!), Anne-Marie Willis and Natalie Wright.

Architect, Shane Thompson was awarded The 2012 Queensland Smart Design Fellowship at a special event held at The State Library of Queensland on 28 June 2012. Shane is someone who I have always admired. He is a strong design advocate and talented individual with a down to earth character and relaxed way. Congratulations Shane!

Congratulations to all of the Nominees! Such a pleasure to know you!

Check out the full story at Queenslandersign and Arts Queensland.

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.

NEED TO KNOW!!!

TRACE invite

I hit the ground running on my return to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Meetings….Studio Work… Submitting my Winston Churchill Fellowship Report… Working with Pin-Up… Receiving awesome sponsorship from How We Create…THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN!!!

Playing with Rubber… asking myself Who am I? Who do I think I am after all of the experiences with amazing people from all over the globe… And of course, Lots and Lots of MAKING…

Well the last few weeks I have not blogged much. That’s because I have been in full prep mode for my SOLO exhibition TRACE at Pin-Up Project Space in Melbourne Australia…

TRACE maps and connects the underlying conceptual ideas that thread through the practice of Brisbane based architect and artist Christina Waterson. By physically surveying the origins of her work, the new collection embodies a 3-dimensional ‘trace’, sketch or echo of past trajectories. A softening of material and a simplification of line results in Waterson’s return to essential forms and qualities. Like a stone smoothed by the tidal waters of the ocean, sharp lines soften to tactile curves and arabesques. A palette of materials that range from rubber, leather and felt resonate with a return to artisan values within the traditions of leather work, sewing, beading and macramé.

A collection of work within the exhibition is informed by Waterson’s recent Winston Churchill Fellowship Research experiences.

I am so excited about the new work I may explode at any moment! Stay Tuned!!!

Fab Furniture

'Fabulous Furniture' by Art Power

When I arrived home from my travels I had a special surprise waiting for me in the post!

Fabulous Furniture by Art Power! My Bloom Series was featured along with designers’ work from all over the globe!

Nice to be included!

Thank you Art Power for the terrific layout!

TRACE

Christina Waterson pictured with Taking Flight 2011, photography Jon Linkins

I can let you in on a LITTLE secret…

…In March 2012 work informed by my Winston Churchill Fellowship research will feature in a solo exhibition at Pin-Up Project Space in Melbourne. The exhibition is called trace and is part of the L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival’s 2012 Cultural Programme.

“Trace maps key moments within the diverse practice of Australian artist, designer and maker, Christina Waterson. Through an ever-evolving investigation into scale-play, materiality and making, Christina’s work continues to push and pull at the junctures of art, fashion design and architecture. It makes us aware of the depth of space and connects us to the qualities that make the rich world around us including light, texture, materiality and colour. The variations release the potential of ideas, allowing us to envision their possibilities as a piece of jewellery, a wearable textile  or an immersive environment. New works informed by her recent Winston Churchill Fellowship research will be showcased in the exhibition, alongside a selection of works from the Bloom, Komodo and Ocular Series.”

Pin-Up Project Space, Collingwood (March 15 – April 21, 2012)

Curated by Fleur Watson and Christina Waterson

I AM TRULY EXCITED! Check out details at L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival’s 2012 Cultural Programme and STAY TUNED!!!!!

BEST & BRIGHTEST 2011

Best & Brightest Edition of QWeekend with Actor Anna McGahan on the cover

QWeekend’s fifth annual roll call of Queensland’s top 50 high achievers in science, medicine, the arts, sport and business was recently published. I was called up out of the blue while in Hong Kong. Actually I was right in the middle of a really bad Typhoon on a small Island off the coast of Hong Kong.

I have always believed ‘you are only are as good as the people around you’, so to be included within a list of such talented individuals was a great honor for me. I found my self listed amongst people like Actor Anna McGahan, Furniture Maker Roy Schack, Racehorse Trainer Peter Moody, Indigenous Health Doctor Noel Hayman and World Champion Athlete Sally Pearson etc. etc.

It was also great to see people in the list that I have personally known over the years including Architects Ingrid Richards and Adrian Spence from Richards & Spence and Chef and Teacher Lien Yeomans.

Pictured with Teen Idol Cody Simpson, Blood Cancer Specialist Dr Steven Lane, and Filmmaker Steve Baker

No04 CHRISTINA WATERSON…ARCHITECT, ARTIST & DESIGNER

“… Just back from a Churchill Fellowship trip to Japan, China and Turkey, where she explored the origins of ancient patterns and their connection to traditional crafts and architecture, Waterson has long used patterns and weaves to provide the creative impetus for her elegant work. Whether the Bundaberg-raised artist uses bamboo, paper, found objects, stainless steel or plywood for her sculptural wall reliefs, jewellery, public art, furniture or homewares, everything Waterson produces displays a visual harmony between space and the created object.”

I want to meet No5 Film Maker Steve Baker. He obviously has a sense of humour

Photography by Russell Shakespeare and David Kelly for QWeekend and interview and kind words above by Susan Johnson; Senior Feature Writer for QWeekend and Fiction Writer. Check out Susan’s work at her website.

Indesign Magazine #47: Taking Flight

Indesign Magazine #47 Out Now!

Indesign Magazine: Evolve p28 -29

“Up, Up and Away”

“Aurecon – a world-class engineering, management and specialist technical servicing group – recently commissioned Brisbane designer Christina Waterson to design an inspirational wall work for their reception area. The resulting work is Taking Flight, a vivid red flock of folded aluminium. “ ‘Aurecon’ means golden thought,” says Waterson. “In the work, I aimed to capture a ‘golden’ or precious moment evoking a sense of action and growth, similar to birds alighting from a forest or the flourish of blooms in spring.” Many tests with paper were undertaken before the extreme folds of the piece were decided on. Waterson has recently returned from a trip to Japan, China and Turkey, where she was conducting research into the “origins and space within the ancient patterns of these cultures” as part of a Winston Churchill Fellowship.” (Text MK)

Thank you Mandi Keighran and Linda Cheng from Indesign for including my recent ‘Taking Flight’ commission for Aurecon in Indesign #47 and Jon Linkins once again for the beautiful photography!