My Ivory St Installations

Fall 2002 Concept for Ivory Street Window Installation in 2005 part of Unleashed 2005, artisan. Illustration by Christina Waterson.

Over almost a decade I have enjoyed exhibiting my large-scale installations in artisan’s Ivory Street Window. The space is perfect; it’s protected while being very public; outward looking to Ivory and Brunswick Street and therefore an accessible way to present to people who wouldn’t ordinarily get to engage with my larger scale works. People can appreciate the installations there day and night as they walk, drive or bus by. The space also affords a different understanding of ones work through the light, movement, near and far approach; and the scale of the window space and street itself.

I’ve presented installations in artisan’s Ivory Street Window at key moments in my practice. Here I share with you a snap shot of the three installations undertaken in 2005, 2008 and most recently 2014.

Fall 2002 Detail of Ivory Street Installation 2005. Photography Andrea Higgins for artisan.

Fall 2002 was installed in artisan’s Ivory Street Window in 2005 as part of Unleashed exhibition.  Fall’s interlocking stainless steel elements cascade against the surface of the wall with its elements able to be reconfigured into a hanging installation (Rest 2002) and stacked horizontally (Align 2002).

Fall 2002 Detail of Ivory Street Installation 2005. Photography Christina Waterson.

Gravity transformed the perfect geometric forms into a scurry of movement and light. The stainless steel elements quivered with slight changes in air flow and their thin edges reflected the smallest presence of light. Street and traffic lights as well as headlights of passing cars were beautifully reflected in the work’s thin stainless steel edges. Fall is now an important part of my personal collection and takes pride of place in my living room.

Plexus #1 2008 installed in artisan’s Ivory Street Window in 2008. Photography by Andrea Higgins for artisan.

Plexus #1 (Cardboard Prototype Komodo Series) 2008 hand cut and woven in recycled cardboard. Presented in artisan’s Ivory Street in 2008. Photography Andrea Higgins for artisan.

In 2008 I showcased a preliminary hand cut cardboard prototype of Plexus #1 (Part of the Komodo Series launched later that year at Living Edge, Brisbane). The series includes three-dimensional arrays, weavings and sculptural objects that explore beautiful repetitive, structural forms at a variety of scales.

Plexus #1 (Cardboard Prototype Komodo Series) 2008 detail showing the space of the window and materiality of the work. Photography Andrea Higgins for artisan.

As people moved past the the window installation they would see ever shifting tessellation between the work and its shadow. Closer inspection revealed the delightful materiality and complexity of the interwoven elements. Over the month Plexus #1 was in artisan’s Ivory Street Window it evolved and grew; with new elements added weekly until it finally filled the window.

Day time street view of Sequence 01 – Soft Cell (Domestic Bliss Exotic Dream) 2014. Photography Christina Waterson.

Dusk street view of Sequence 04 – Soft Cell (Domestic Bliss Exotic Dream) 2014. Photography Courtesy of Richard Stride for artisan.

Soft Cell 2014 was installed during May 2014. The installation evolved through five distinct sequences and was a playful and colourful installation of my latest collection and softer direction.

Night time street view of the final sequence of growth – Soft Cell (Domestic Bliss Exotic Dream) 2014. Photography Christina Waterson.

More on this my latest installation – Soft Cell 2014 and the whole collection in a future post! STAY TUNED!

THANK YOU artisan; idea skill product for supporting my work through display and exhibition over the past decade. 

 

 

WOOD: art design architecture

WOOD: art design architecture exhibition view at Jam Factory Contemporary Craft and Design. Photography by Christina Waterson.

The national touring exhibition WOOD: art design architecture opened in Brisbane at the QUT Art Museum last week. I thought I would share with you my review of the exhibition written originally for ArchitectureAU online on the occasion of the exhibition first opening at JamFactory Contemporary Craft and Design, in February 2013. And so not to ruin the experience of seeing the work in QUT’s generous sequence of exhibition spaces, I have only included photos of the original JamFactory installation that accompanied the text below. Enjoy!

Greer Honeywill’s This housing estate is not to scale #2 (foreground) and Boot Lace by Sherrie Knipe with Colony by Christina Waterson, behind. Photography by Christina Waterson.

WOOD: art design architecture celebrates our long relationship with wood and presents its diverse properties and qualities, along with the multiplicity of ways it can be worked. The exhibition includes work from twenty-eight Australian exhibitors who either work directly with wood, or with skilled crafts-people. The pieces relate to each other on several levels to form an overall vision for the exhibition based on figure and form; pushing material limits; craftsmanship and our eternal connection to wood – through place, nature, use and memory.

Interior and architectural projects are part of the showing. These are often difficult to appreciate in an exhibition context without directly experiencing the made place in real-time, but each project is presented in a distinct way to give an insight not available in the experience of the actual project.

Brian Hooper and m3architecture’s Tree of Knowledge Memorial 2009 is presented through a single key image alongside one of the recycled hardwood elements used to reinstate the aura around the remains of the Tree of Knowledge. This allows an intimate experience of these elements (that hang out of reach in the actual project) and thus enables an appreciation of the hardwood’s age, materiality and previous life as telephone and electrical poles. A simple scale model of March Studio’s Baker D. Chirico on the other hand emphasises the contour like nature of its interior plywood ceiling and wall strata.

John Wardle Architects’ Jewellery Box with form studies of the Shearers Quarters project. Photography by Christina Waterson.

Small massing and form models of John Wardle Architect’s Shearer’s Quarters project are displayed in an elegant spruce jewellery box with sliding drawer. The Jewellery Box is crafted with the same care and attention to detail as the office’s architectural projects and represents a key part of the practice – the relationships formed with highly skilled craftsman to achieve complex architectural ideas. The fruit of these key relationships is found in the joyful and intimate experiences that punctuate life lived in and around this practice’s buildings.

Piti, 2012 by Billy and Lulu Cooley uses river red gum burnt with design, displayed alongside Clipped Wing Bench in Tasmanian Blackwood by Simon Ancher. Photography by Christina Waterson.

Hossein Valamanesh’s Breathe 2012, bronze cast from assembled twigs and branches, celebrates the life-giving force of nature, forests and trees. Architect Drew Heath’s spaces are warmed by light that has been warmed by wood’s hue. Developed within the experimental confines of his own home, Heath’s light lintels (on display) and layered ceilings incorporate marine plywood to warm our modern-day fluorescents.

Amore mio chair in American black walnut by Jon Goulder with Tom Miram’s The Memory Keeper, 2012 (background). Photography by Christina Waterson.

Tom Miram’s The Memory Keeper 2012 is made from the trunk of a fallen coastal grey box, and marks his connection to the place of his childhood, and the history of change along its river valley. Other works show the process of realising work in wood.

Requiem (spirit of the beehive) by Lionel Bawden (right) with Greer Honeywill’s This housing estate is not to scale #2 (left) and Plantation Chair by Alexander Lotersztain (behind). Photography by Christina Waterson.

Alexander Lotersztain’s marine plywood Plantation Chair prototype (a step to the final design with adjustment marks and cuts) is displayed beside a standard plywood sheet nested with the assembly elements of four Plantation Chairs and accompanying Eggcups. Sherrie Knipe’s patterned Boot Lace and John Quan’s incredibly thin Flexible Desk Lamp push timber veneer to its limits, while offering playful outcomes.

Visitors appreciate the detailed pattern in Boot Lace by Sherrie Knipe. Photography Christina Waterson.

Brief 2012 (my favourite work in the exhibition) by Damien Wright, is a large dining table made using ancient petrified Red Gum and Ringed Gidgee. Its honesty, logic and refinement exemplifies Wright’s adept skill and the unique techniques he has developed to form these hard to work timbers. The undulating drawer fronts of Khai Liew Julian Chest 2011 invite touch and use to appreciate the solid American black walnut. It is made with care and exactitude and will age gracefully over generations to come.

Up close with Khai Liew’s Julian Chest 2011, solid American black walnut with patinated copper inlay. Photography by Christina Waterson.

Throughout my visit to this exhibition, I felt a strong desire to touch the works – to get up close, to see the grain and smell the scent of the woods used. Our long, close up and personal relationship with wood is kindled by this heart-felt exhibition and beautiful accompanying publication. Wood is warm to touch, alive and ever-changing and continues to find a place within our lives and memories.

WOOD: art design architecture resulted from a collaboration between JamFactory Contemporary Craft and Design and Botanic Gardens of Adelaide, where it was presented in February through early April 2013 with the exhibition continuing its national tour throughout 2013 and 2014. The exhibition at QUT Art Museum continues until 29 June 2014. See their website for details.

From the Vault 02

In this the second instalment of From the Vault I’ve really dug deep and gone back to the early days; showing the diversity and richness of my practice. I’ve sifted through Polaroids, black and white negs, Kodak prints and drawings. Once again the process has been positively affirming. I have included a few descriptions for the harder to place projects and works. Enjoy!

House for Bachelard (1994). Design, models, drawings and photography by Christina Waterson 1994.

This exploratory project, House for Bachelard, was designed while studying Architecture at The University of Queensland in 1994. The 2nd Year Architectural Design Studio was run by Professor John Hockings.

PART 01: ABSTRACTIONS OF HOUSE. On reading The Poetics of Space by Gaston Bachelard, students were asked to communicate its essential concepts via a maquette (concepts such as curved space, corner/huddle, and progression between polar states etc) Through an intensive model making process I explored ‘hidden space’ and tried to capture the feeling of the spaces described in The Poetics of Space. Then in a series of exercises involving the abstraction, duplication and repetition of our original concept model we were challenged to consider the qualities of spaces revealed by this process and match them to the prescribed areas of a brief. The brief was for a weekend house for the author Bachelard.

Abstractions of House – Study Model 1 (1994). Photography by Christina Waterson 1994.

Abstractions of House – Study Model 2 (1994). Photography by Christina Waterson 1994.

PART 02: HOUSE FOR BACHELARD. My proposition for his ‘house’ was a camp-like structure providing basic necessities for Bachelard’s weekend stays. It was nestled within the landscape of Point Lookout and orientated to minimize oncoming winds. The long landscape wall allowed Gaston to survey the coming weather. It shielded his vegetable garden from the strong winds. The bookshelf was considered as a large ladder that stretched from the cellar, through the reading room and up to Bachelard’s sunny sleeping cone. The cellar lay within the earth and provided a dark cool retreat.

House for Bachelard – Sectional Project Model (1994). The model was 1.8 meters in length. The middle and bottom photos are taken from the same view but one shows the ground plane intact while the other reveals in section the cellar below. Photography by Christina Waterson 1994.

Peter Light 2000 lighting commission for Elision Ensemble’s practice space, South Brisbane. Photography Christina Waterson 2000.

Raku Test Patterns 2001. Made during a Ceramic’s Elective while studying Visual Arts at the Queensland University of Technology in 2001. Photography by Christina Waterson.

Ceramic Family of Vessels 2001. For a Ceramic’s Elective while studying Visual Arts at the Queensland University of Technology in 2001. Photography by Christina Waterson.

Array Study 01 (2007). Veneer. Photography David Sandison.

Array Study 02 (2007). Polypropylene. Photography David Sandison.

Fuzzy Dub (2010) the concept for my reloved – designer stories  piece at the Sydney Powehouse. Concept and drawing by Christina Waterson 2010.

“Once desired and loved but eventually discarded, the essential furniture item – the chair – has a long, rich and often poignant past… Contemporary design and bespoke beauty merge to transform a tired furniture piece into a work of art.” Brief by Sydney Powerhouse 2010.

Find a chair, relove it and tell a story. My response to this brief explored the origins of my own creative spark. The first chairs I distinctly remember were our school chairs and at that time I was heavily into craft especially making pom poms. I playfully combined these two memories together to make Fuzzy Dub for the exhibition. By taking two discarded and outgrown school chairs and binding them with recycled materials (including fishing nets and fabric strips) they were reused to make a large-scale pom pom. The exhibition was held at Sydney Powerhouse as part of the 2010 Sydney Design Festival. It included reloved chairs by Andrew Simpson (Industrial Design), Liesl Hazelton (Jewellery), and Adam Goodrum (Industrial Design).

Fuzzy Dub the process (2010). Photography by Jon Linkins.

My complete Fuzzy Dub (2010). Every time I look at Fuzzy Dub it makes me laugh! Pretty fun and out there! Photography by Jon Linkins.

 All works by Christina Waterson. If you would like to check out From the Vault 01, the previous post in this series, click on this link.

 

Abe Muriata – My Chain Reaction Link

Abe Muriata holding one of his beautiful bi-cornial baskets. Photography by Darcy Clarke.

As one of two artists nominated for the Chain Reaction exhibition by the fantastic Elie Moubarak (Gerard’s Bistro, Laruche and Lychee Lounge), I in turn then selected practitioners whose work and generous spirit continue to inspire me. One such practitioner is Abe Muriata, Girramay man of the Cardwell Range area. Abe is a painter and potter, traditional rainforest shield maker and self-taught weaver.

I feel a deep respect for Abe Muriata through the joy of experiencing his work on a daily basis. I wake each day to one of Abe’s beautiful bicornual baskets, or Jawuns, that hangs beside my bed. Jawans are traditionally woven by women. Abe is the only man to weave them. His delicate and intricate weavings have a modest yet palpable presence. With exceptional skill, precision and material sensitivity, Abe weaves both traditional and contemporary materials into breathtaking bicornual baskets unique to the rainforest people.

The beautiful shadows created by Abe’s lawyer cane Jawun transport me. Photography by Christina Waterson.

In those first personal visioning and awakening moments of morning my eyes often rest on the soft form of his lawyer cane Jawun. Its distinctive strata and layering create a myriad of fragile shadows. My mind wanders and I imagine what it would be like to rest inside the basket, held lovingly by the inner curves of its enveloping surface. In this way Abe’s work engages me to look deeper and transports me to a realm of possibilities and creative moments of insight.

View more of Abe Muriata’s beautiful work through the Girringun Aboriginal Arts Centre.

See Abe’s work close up at artisan: idea skill product from 14 February 2014 as part of the Chain Reaction exhibition, and view the special links Abe has selected; renowned practitioners Emily Murray and Brian Robinson.

Chain Reaction at artisan

A sneak peek of Celestial Analogue (Stellar) 2013/14 my new work for Chain Reaction; a great new exhibition at artisan, opening in mid-February 2014. Photography Christina Waterson.

Chain Reaction is an exhibition opening in February at artisan: idea skill product. It’s special because it highlights the sometimes invisible but essential connections between practitioners.

As the title hints the exhibition was generated by a series of reactions through craft and design practitioners selecting the exhibitors. Creative entrepreneur and local craft and design supporter, Elie Moubarak (Gerard’s Bistro, Laruche and Lychee Lounge; designer, maker and engineer) started the process. Elie nominated two Queensland practitioners whose work inspires him. These two artists in turn nominated another two makers each and so on. Fifteen Queensland creative practitioners working across different mediums and scales form the links in Chain Reaction. They include:

Abe Muriata, Emily Murray, Brian Robinson, Barbara Heath and Malcolm Enright, Andrew Ness, Michael Phillips, Lucas Salton, Russell Anderson, Rebecca Ward, Christopher Trotter, Remo Vallance, Hannah Cutts and Fukutoshi Ueno.

In the making – Celestial Analogue (Stellar) 2013/14. Photography Christina Waterson.

I was one of the lucky practitioners selected by Elie. A beautiful honour! I selected practitioners whose work and generous spirit have personally moved me – Abe Muriata (Girramay man of the Cardwell Range area, Weaver and Sculptor) and Enright Heath Trust (Malcolm Enright, an artist and commercial designer and Barbara Heath, jeweller and sculptor). Stay tuned as I post about these inspirational people as well as the work I am making for the exhibition, Celestial Analogue 2013/14.

Chain Reaction is one of those exhibitions that is an absolute joy to be a part of. It opens at artisan: idea skill product on 14 February 2014.

Lucky Number: The Seventh Edition of Seven with Another

The “Seven With Another” Concept: Fourteen People – Seven Teams – One IDEA: Create something different.

“By inviting seven pairs of creatives from diverse fields to work together, we’re challenging them to look past their vastly different creative processes and skill sets and concentrate instead on what they do best – being creative.” Seven with Another.

The Seventh Edition of Seven with Another once again uniquely matched the pick of local creatives including a Maker and a VFX Director; a Musician and a Tattoo Artist; a Copywriter and an Architect; an Industrial Designer and Fine Artist; an Art Director and Fashion Designer; a Director/Photographer and Textile Designer; and last (but definitely not least) a Multimedia Artist and Performing Artist.

Kory MCAvoy (Art Director, Enginegroup) and Fashion Designer Deanne Mayocchi’s Installation behind. Photography Christina Waterson.

A refreshing mix of guests from a diverse range of professions. Photography Christina Waterson.

Hailey Bartholomew (Director/Photographer at You Cant Be Serious) paired with Erin Lightfoot (Textile Designer). Photography Christina Waterson.

Hailey Bartholomew (Director/Photographer at You Cant Be Serious) paired with Erin Lightfoot (Textile Designer). Photography Christina Waterson.

“The creative process can be very insular. No matter whether you’re a fine artist, a designer, a developer or a writer, coming up with – and executing – ideas can be a lonely process involving just you and your imagination.” Seven with Another

Marianne Harvey (Copywriter) and Paul Owen’s (Architect) work floats above guests. Photography Christina Waterson.

Maker, Adam Meisenhelter (Doppelfactory) teamed with Zenon Kohler (VFX Director) from Cuttingedge to make the striking cabinet in the background. Photography Christina Waterson.

It is often at the edges that the most exciting things happen and this is where Seven with Another successfully pushes the possibilities of what can come through collaboration;

“The resulting collaborative artworks could be disasterous, or they could be truly mind-blowing, but what they definitely won’t be is boring.” Seven with Another.

Seven with Another’s Co-Founders Monique Kneepkens (Fries Need Mayonnaise) and Jessica Huddart (Creative Director at Josephmark or JM) are just as extraordinary as the creatives they bring together. Their passion ensures each new edition continues to evolve. To celebrate the seventh year, a selection of collaborative duos were invited back from each edition to share their experiences in a series of insightful public talks at the Brisbane Powerhouse.

Seven with Another’s opening event at the Brisbane Powerhouse, 11 July 2013. Photography Christina Waterson.

The opening night was extremely refreshing because guests originated from a broad range of professions and interests; a true sign of success and Seven with Another’s wide reaching support. The Eighth Edition is expected to once again break new ground; create new conversations between unlikely creative pairings and offer a unique platform to imagine beyond the edges of professions.

For more information on the participating creatives, past editions or upcoming events please visit Seven with Another’s website and Facebook page!

Six Jewellers Six Ways at Ari Athans Jewellery

Six Jewellers Six Ways at Ari Athans Jewellery. Photography Christina Waterson.

Six Jewellers Six Ways opened with excitement at Ari Athans Jewellery, in Brisbane, at the beginning of July 2013. This group exhibition featured new explorations by jewellers Danielle Boal, Anna Varendorff, Julie Smeros, Jane Bowring, Bibi Locke and Ari Athans, and coincided with The National Jewellers and Metalsmith’s Conference.

“…Six Ways” refers to each jewellers’ experiments and idiosyncrasies that make their practice and jewellery unique. The exhibition maps Ari Athans’ professional relationships with the practitioners – formed over many years. A personal knowledge of each jeweller’s “way” stems from the experience of working closely together on Ari’s production pieces in her studio.

Danielle Boals’ Pendants. Photography courtesy of Ari Athans’ Blog.

Danielle Boals’ pendants for the exhibition draw on Pareidolia or “the imagined perception of a pattern or meaning where it does not actually exist (as in considering the moon to have human features)”.

“I thought it was funny” states Danielle,”how such simple shapes can so quickly be interpreted as a human face.”

Glazed ceramic, brass, cotton, and polyester were combined to form Danielle’s haunting pendants.

Anna Varendorff’s new collection for the exhibition explores the gesture of drawing. Photography courtesy of Ari Athans’ Blog.

Anna Varendorff shares the inspiration behind her beautiful new range. Photography Christina Waterson.

A guest trying on my favourite piece form Anna’s new collection. Photography Christina Waterson.

Melbourne jeweller Anna Varendorff presented a dynamic body of work using insulated electrical wire composed with traditional materials.  These new pieces were playful and reminiscent of squiggles or doodles. They reinforced Anna’s love of drawing in space; but in a free and relaxed way that diverges from her past completely minimal and reductionist collections.

Faceted Rings by Julie Smeros. Photography courtesy of Ari Athans’ Blog.

Guests try on Julie Smeros’ faceted rings. (Julie right). Photography Christina Waterson.

Julie Smeros'”patience and dedication to detail … has been with her since our days in kindergarten” recalls Ari. Julie explored the lost wax casting technique to produce the series of faceted silver rings for “...Six Ways”.

Jane Bowring’s elegant rings. Photography courtesy of Ari Athans’ Blog.

Balance and measure underpin the work of Jane Bowring. Each permutation and combination of process, form and material are informed by Jane’s avid research.

Bibi Locke brooch. Photography courtesy of Ari Athans’ Blog.

“…Six Ways” provided an opportunity for Bibi Locke to present her latest retail range; closely informed by a  recent study sojourn in New York. The range explored regeneration and degrees of permanence within the natural and urban landscapes.

Ari Athans’ Earrings alongside one of her paintings. Photography courtesy of Ari Athans’ Blog.

Ari Athans’ playful earrings for the exhibition were made from detritus plastics found at North Gorge beach, Stradbroke Island. Working on this series while preparing for a solo painting exhibition at Edwina Corlette Gallery at the time, Ari found the plastic’s softened yet geometric shapes against the pumice resonated deeply;

“I immediately connected the plastic’s shapes and colours to my brushwork. I started collecting like mad. It was quite a contrast – the pumice with the plastic. Different origins but they travelled together and deposited on this beach because they share the same density.” Ari.

King tides and heavy seas revealed the rich vein of pumice and plastics during Ari’s family visit to the island. Photography courtesy of Ari Athans’ Blog.

The exhibition was abuzz with people enjoying the new works by each of the jewellers. Photography Christina Waterson.

Six Jewellers Six Ways in essence reflects the mutual respect held between these practitioners, and celebrates the differences or their creative approach.  It also marks the important ways established practitioners, like Ari Athans, continue to support, challenge and showcase the creative practice of peers.

Thank you Ari Athans for another delightful exhibition opening. Photography of the jewellers’ individual works (as noted) courtesy of Ari Athans’ Blog.

JamFactory – 40 Fruitful Years of Craft and Design

This year marks the 40^th Anniversary of JamFactory Contemporary Craft and Design. Founded in Adelaide JamFactory has ensured some of Australia’s most talented craft and design practitioners have realised their full creative potential. On any given day the quality and diversity of practitioners working within JamFactory’s walls are a reflection of its contribution over such a long period of time.

It’s Monday and I decide to visit JamFactory Studios to see who is at work.

Natalie Gock working at her bench within JamFactory’s Metal Design Studio, Adelaide.

Natalie hand sawing copper sheet into test forms.

Natalie’s previous work – Black Cockatoo Neck piece. Image Courtesy of JamFactory.

At the Metal Design Studio, I find Natalie Gock hand sawing copper sheet into fine petal like test forms. She is working on an exhibition piece for Maker/Wearer/Matchmaker – part of Art Month Sydney 2013. The necklace will be made in silver for one of the Directors of Nine Galleries (at 2 Dank St) to wear and be displayed at Studio 20/17 from 26th until the 28th March 2013. Natalie is an Alumna Resident having completed the Associate training programme in 2012.

Nadja Maher working on a new collection in JamFactory’s Metal Design Studio.

Nadja works her small earring prototypes on JamFactory’s anvil.

Nadja’s previous work – Overnight Earrings. Image Courtesy of JamFactory.

Jeweller Nadja Maher (a 2^nd Year JamFactory Associate) is working on a new collection. Nadja, having cut and annealed her little silver earrings prototypes, is now gently working them on the JamFactory’s prize anvil. The JamFactory structures the Associate’s week by engaging them to work with staff in the making of Studio pieces for wholesale and retail sale and contributing to public program’s via workshops, exhibitions and talks, while also enabling them to work on their personal practice and commissions.

Kate Sutherland making finishing touches to a commission.

Kate’s bench within Jam Factory’s Metal Design Studio.

Kate’s previous work. Image Courtesy of JamFactory.

Diversity in material and form is encouraged in the Studios. Second year Associate, Kate Sutherland, is finishing a special commission. Kate’s fluid forms draw on the Art Deco and Art Nouveau periods as well as the relationship between metal elements and the human body.

Alice Potter and Christian Hall (the Metal Design Studio’s Project Manager and Creative Director, respectively), are running errands the day I do my rounds. Luckily I sat down with Christian Hall a few days earlier and discussed the history of JamFactory.

“JamFactory is very much like building an aeroplane while it is in flight…you can’t stop the plane, it has to keep going and is always in a state of incremental change…it has been built little by little over time. To start something like JamFactory today would be such a massive undertaking… it would be near impossible.” Christian affirms, “JamFactory Contemporary Craft and Design is in a unique position.”

What may have started 40 years ago to support craftspeople and change the manufacturing production industry has evolved into a place that bridges tertiary study and practice. Through the large-scale commissions the JamFactory wins, Associate’s are exposed to different scales of working – often working in teams and combining many of the Studios (Glass, Metal, Furniture and Ceramics) together in one project. Associates and Staff also attend special master classes given by National and International visiting artists-in-residence.

Eddie Ferguson in Studio 3 – sourcing materials.

Window Jug and Tumblers by Eddie Ferguson. Image Courtesy of Eddie Ferguson.

Down stairs in Studio 3 is Eddie Ferguson (2nd Year Associate) who spent the day before in the Glass Studio blowing his elegant Window Vase for stockists around Australia. When I call in he is sourcing materials and designing work that embraces the limitations of the glass blowing process.

Jeweller Regine Schwarzer sets a ring with a stone.

Jewellers Regine Schwarzer and Jessamy Pollock are hard at work in Studio 5. With a passion for the rocks and minerals of Australia, Regine is setting a ring with a stone as we speak. She trained in jewellery making and metalwork at the Zeichenakademie Hanau, Germany, moved to Australia in 1993 and has exhibited in countless exhibitions nationally and internationally.

Jessamy Pollock making paper and aluminium tests in Studio 5.

One of Jessamy’s previous works Fold Brooch in anodized aluminium from her recent exhibition Shrink and Explore – a beautiful collection of wearable and unwearable sculptures.

Jessamy Pollock (Alumna in Residence) invites us to “shrink within our imagination and explore her work at an architectural scale”. Jessamy has just embarked on designing a new wearable range of brooches and neck pieces and is in the process of testing her ideas in paper and aluminum. It’s great to see Regine and Jessamy working side by side on their individual work.

The JamFactory’s studio model is unique and sees experienced professional practitioners working alongside Associates in a studio environment. The program equips them with business knowledge, sustainable practice guidelines as well as all of the OHS of the technology they have grown up with. Alumni often stay on and work from rented share studio tenancies. They contribute to the depth of knowledge and strength of the JamFactory programmes.

Furniture Designer/Maker – Andrew Bartlett greets me in Studio 6.

Andrew applying finishing coat to a commission before final assembly.

In Studio 6 is furniture designer/maker Andrew Bartlett (Alumnus) applying finishing coats to a furniture commission. After installing the WOOD: art design architecture exhibition Andrew is content to be in the studio. We discuss his great respect for clients in the commissioning process and the importance of collaboration on such projects as the Penfold’s Ampoule Project. John Quan (Furniture Designer Alumnus) shares Studio 6 with Andrew but is out sourcing electrical supplies for his new lamp design when I visit.

A meeting in session within JamFactory’s Furniture Studio.

Furniture Maker – Daniel Guest having a break from the workshop. Admin is a necessary part of any business.

Next-door a meeting in the Furniture Design Studio headquarters is in session. Furniture Maker Daniel Guest (2nd Year Associate who also assisted on the WOOD: art design architecture install) is quietly working away on a computer. Daniel moved to Adelaide to become a JamFactory Associate and sharpen his skills after completing fine furniture design and construction at the Australian School of Fine Wood in Western Australia. Like Daniel many practitioners are prepared to move cities and live in Adelaide to attend JamFactory.

Associates today differ from those attending the JamFactory 40 years ago. Then the practitioners were generally older with a diverse wealth of life experience and travel under their belt – as well as their own sense of identity and practice. Today’s Associates are more likely to be in that process while completing their JamFactory Associate training programme.

I sit down with Karen Cunningham (Glass Studio Creative Director) as the other glass practitioners including Tom Moore (Production Manager) stop for the day to enjoy frozen cordial and time away from the hot furnaces.

The resources that go into glass making are costly and finite. The Glass Studio’s Program emphasizes training through production while supporting the distinct parts of practice (experimental exhibition work and highly resolved production pieces). It encourages practitioners to think of glass in new ways such as through computer-based technology and sustainable practice.

Step by step – the practitioners work together to form the piece.

At times there have been up to 50 independent glass artists who regularly hire the hot glass studio. Making glass objects is a creative pursuit that needs to be undertaken with someone to assist throughout the process.

The glass form goes back into the furnace.

Further forming – the process is repeated until the glass tumbler form is perfect.

The process is mesmerizing to watch. I particularly enjoy the movement of the practitioners working together as they glide around each other to transfer the glass back and forth from furnace to forming area. On this day Liam Fleming is completing the Tumbler Exercise with Katie–Ann Houghton assisting, as George Agius prepares coloured glass with Alex Valero.

View to Glass Studio from the Observation Deck – Liam Fleming completing the Tumbler Exercise with Katie–Ann Houghton assisting.

As I make my way from the Glass Studio to the JamFactory Office I pass members of the public enjoying the glass process from a special observation deck. They have just come from JamFactory Store which stocks the objects made on site. JamFactory successfully connects people to the power and energy of making.

In the JamFactory Office its late afternoon and Claudine Young (Executive Assistant) and Anne Fenech (Administration Assistant) are holding the fort. With the exhibition launch and public programmes for WOOD: art design architecture held the previous week, many staff have gone home a little early today.

I caught up with Brian Parkes CEO, after the WOOD: art design architecture exhibition opening and discussed how he sees his role in the organisation.

“JamFactory Contemporary Craft and Design has a strong and meaningful history and an ever-growing community of esteemed Alumni. I see my primary role as spreading the word about JamFactory’s uniqueness, contribution and longevity with a wider audience”.

Brian Parkes opening the WOOD: art design architecture exhibition at JamFactory.

This is apt, because the day I visit, Brian is doing just that – spreading the word at an interstate presentation. I have to agree with Brian – there is no other place in Australia like JamFactory. The diverse practitioners I met working on this one day within JamFactory’s 40-year history are the true testimony to this.

A special exhibition entitled Designing Craft/Crafting Design: 40 Years of JamFactory opens on 19 April 2013 at JamFactory Contemporary Craft and Design, Adelaide.

MARMALADE – JamFactory’s annual publication with designer profiles, special features and reviews has just been launched.

For all details including information about JamFactory’s Studios, Associates and Staff, Store and upcoming events visit JamFactory’s Website.

TRACELET Tool Making

One half of the finished tool for Tracelet machined from tool steel.

Through the amazing support of How We Create and Palamont: Art in Manufacturing I was personally connected with specialist toolmaker and injection molder, Kevin Hopkinson from the Brisbane based Ashden Industries. With Kevin’s 25 years of experience in this area, the quality and detail of Tracelet was realised beyond expectation.

Machining the Copper Electrode

Final surface detail and finish spark eroded into tool.

All I can say is thank you Kevin! What a pleasure working with you!

Thank you How We Create and Palamont: Art in Manufacturing!

To everyone out there: SEEK OUT AND SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MANUFACTURERS!!!

The Why We Create Launch, Victoria

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.