Marc Newson - Sydney Fireworks

As the hands of our clocks reach midnight tonight around the world we will celebrate the coming of a New Year. Concepts for clocks, watches and timepieces have often been on the drawing board of industrial designer Marc Newson, so it may well be that many of us will count down to the Sydney fireworks with one of Marc's pieces. This year however in Sydney and around the world via television images we will be treated to the latest Marc Newson project - the fireworks themselves.

Marc grew up in Sydney studying at the Sydney College of the Arts and was a young child when the Sydney Opera House was opened in 1973.

Marc has specified a strict colour palette of blue, violet, green and yellow but we will have to wait and see what his vision is for the iconic midnight harbour bridge effect.

Designer Marc Newson.






Video courtesy -  The Australian.

Lockheed lounge designed by Marc Newson. 1986

IMAGE marcnewson.com

Pod Watch designed by Marc Newson. 1986

IMAGE marcnewson.com

Atmos 566 clock designed by Marc Newson. 2010

IMAGE marcnewson.com

Nike Zvezdochka Shoes designed by Marc Newson. 2001

IMAGE marcnewson.com

Gemini Grinders for Alessi designed by Marc Newson. 2001

IMAGE marcnewson.com

Qantas First Class lounge Sydney designed by Marc Newson.

IMAGE marcnewson.com

www.marcnewson.com

City of Melbourne Christmas Tree - Mother's Art

Mother's Art Productions produced a huge variety of objects, sets and props over many years. The City of Melbourne Christmas Tree was just one of the huge number of projects but over many years it contributed to our celebrations of Christmas in Melbourne as it stood in the City Square on the corner of Collins and Swanston Streets.

City of Melbourne Christmas Tree - Mother's Art Productions

Ian Dryden - Christmas in Melbourne

Industrial designer Ian Dryden's designs for innovative christmas decorations for Melbourne have been a feature of Christmas in the City for many years.

Bourke Street Mall with Christmas Decorations by Ian Dryden.

Christmas Stars in Melbourne by industrial designer  Ian Dryden

Tooling for City of Melbourne Christmas Stars

Moulding process of City of Melbourne Christmas Stars.

Christmas Wishes 2011

Wishing all a very Merry Christmas and a safe holiday season. I have enjoyed posting during 2011 and will continue my research, exhibitions and collecting in the New Year. Thank you to all who have dropped in and contributed to my research on the history of industrial design in Victoria.

Grant Featherston - Aristoc Scape Stool

This Grant Featherston designed Scape stool is more likely to feature in our home at the kitchen bench than be stored in the collection but either way it is a welcome recent acquisition.

Grant Featherston Scape stool designed for Aristoc.

 

STILL09 Exhibition 2009 - Video

The video record of my first exhibition related to my PhD - STILL09 has been uploaded to YouTube.

STILL09 Exhibition

STILL09 exhibition curated by Ian Wong

STILL09 exhibition curated by Ian Wong. Oil drip tray, and microwave egg poacher by industrial designer Jim Samartgis and Shell oil bottle by Phillip Slattery.

Studying Industrial Design at RMIT University

I was looking at an old backup today and found this RMIT Industrial Design Course brochure from 1986. I assume this was put together by Elivio Bonollo, or perhaps Dean Holmes at the time.

Interviews for places for 2012 were held at RMIT over the past few days which made me think to write this post. I still remember I was interviewed by Gerry Mussett in room 2B1 and still have some of the items from my application folio.

This brochure from 1986 features Mark Wright's space man full size airbrush which was very famous amongst ID students at the time. This was done in Bernie Walsh's class. In my first year at RMIT the program installed full size automotive pinboards in room 2B2 and lecturers like Bernie and Chris Emmerson had students doing full size tape drawings and airbrush renderings. It was an amazing atmosphere, exactly like a professional design studio. We learnt so much watching the progress of senior students projects on the walls and in the workshop - 2B3.

Mark Wright went on to an automotive career at Ford but his spaceman we all remember well. Projects by Steve Martinuzzo - portable vacuum cleaner, Alphons van Maanen - digital music reader and my final year major project, a dialysis machine are featured on the rear of the brochure.

All the best to current applicants for all ID programs. It is a great career.

RMIT Industrial Design brochure 1986

RMIT Industrial Design brochure 1986

Portable Vacuum Cleaner - Steven Martinuzzo

Digital Music Reader - Alphons van Maanen

Dialysis Machine - Ian Wong

Christmas Markets - Jim Samartgis

Sunday Markets at Fed Square over the past two weekends have showcased a lot of local design and craft, with several items under our tree as a result. This luchbox designed in 1994 by industrial designer Jim Samartgis has found a new life as a cash box for a stall holder and was full of all our Christmas pennies. I was working with Jim on the edp Powerladder Series 2 around the time he designed this product range for TREND Australia.

Trend luchbox designed by Jim Samartgis.

Design registration drawing for lunchbox base designed by industrial designer Jim Samartgis.

Design registration drawings for lunchbox lid designed by industrial designer Jim Samartgis.

Concept sketch by Jim Samartgis for edp Series 2 Powerladder.

edp Powerladder Series 2 development by ejo. Industrial designers Jim Samartgis and Ian Wong.

RMIT Mace - RMIT Graduation Ceremony

The exhibition is over, results are in and so students and their families will soon attend the RMIT Graduation Ceremony. It was an honour in 1992 to have the opportunity to design the mace for RMIT University.

RMIT Mace designed by industrial designer Ian Wong in 1992.

RMIT Ceremonial Mace designed by Ian Wong in 1992. 

Mario Matkovich - Where is Mario?

Driving along Beach Road around 3pm today listening to the cricket on the ABC I noticed the wind was up and a huge number of Kite flyers were out and about. My mind turned back to 1987 and to just one amazing designer....Mario Matkovich.

I was fortunate to work with some great designers at John Westwood Design Associates; John Westwood, Jack Magree, Phillip Slattery, and Ross Williams, ...... but the most unique and amazing was Mario.

Mario taught myself and Jack heaps as we watched his incredible productivity and creativity honed from years working for Philips Clayton CID. It was not however the skills and capability that Mario possessed that brought him to my mind today, but his love of the bay.

If the wind was up on Port Phillip Bay like it was today Mario would not be at his drawing board, he would be on the water. John, Ian Edgar, and Robert Pataki all employed Mario and I am sure all would share my thoughts with a smile....where is Mario?

Kites off Brighton Beach before "knock off" time.

Swinburne University alumnus industrial designer Mario Matkovich.

Philips television concept design by Mario Matkovich. 1970s

Philips television concept design detail by Mario Matkovich. 1980s

VCR concept design by industrial designer Mario Matkovich. 1980s

STILL - Yates 9 Litre Watering Can 21st birthday.

The Yates 9 litre watering can designed in 1990 by Blue Sky Design featured in an article by Colin Wood on Australian design in Issue 28 of DesignWorld magazine. Despite our recent drought and huge competition it continues to demand shelf space after 21 years and was featured in the exhibition STILL09. Happy 21st!

Yates 9L watering can featured in Issue 28 DesignWorld magazine.

Yates 9L watering can designed by Blue Sky Design celebrates 21 years in store.

STILL09 Exhibition curated by Ian Wong

STILL09 exhibition timeline detail featuring Yates 9L watering can by Blue Sky Design. 

Talking Design - Steven Crafti

Talking Design is an itunes podcast series aiming to review design in all its facets - from architecture to industrial design, from fashion to automotive design.

Talking Design is produced by experienced writer Stephen Crafti and sponsored by RMIT.

Mr Crafti writes regularly on design for publications including The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Australian Financial Review, as well Indesign and Habitus magazines. He has also written more than 30 books on architecture and design.

"I'm interested in speaking to a host of designers from a broad range of design disciplines," Mr Crafti said.

"There are so many connections between the various design areas.

"RMIT is renowned as a global university of technology and design and this new podcast series is a perfect fit with the University's expertise."

Talking Design follows the successful launch of the Talking Business podcast series last year, sponsored by RMIT's College of Business.

Link to RMIT Talking Design Here.

Ian Wong

Robert Simeoni

Nixon, Tulloch and Fortey

Jarrod Haberfield

Michael Howard

Melanie Katsalidis

Chris Rack

Amy Muir

Johanna Preston

Suzanne Davies

Andrew Parr

Piero Gesualdi

Debbie Ryan

Stewart Russell

Professor Margaret Gardner

Tim O’Sullivan and Sioux Clark

Robyn Healy

Roger Leong

Michael O'Connell - The Lost Modernist

Professor Harriet Edquist launched her latest book Michael O'Connell - The Lost Modernist tonight at Embiggen Books. Michael O'Connell's son Seamus flew into Australia this week from England to attend the book launch and opening of the Bendigo Art Gallery’s exhibition. He spoke providing insights into Michael and in particular he expressed his appreciation to Harriet for this recognition of his fathers career. He spoke about retrieving boxes of material from the attic and how he could almost see the project emerge in Harriet's eyes.  I have had the pleasure of seeing this project evolve since 2009 whilst working with Harriet in the RMIT Design Archives.

Michael O'Connell The Lost Modernist by Harriet Edquist.

Professor Harriet Edquist launches her latest book on textile designer Michael O'Connell.

Professor Harriet Edquist signs a copy of her latest book Michael O'Connell - The Lost Modernist.

Book launch at Embiggen Books for Michael O'Connell - The Lost Modernist.

Michael O'Connell - The Lost Modernist by author Harriet Edquist designed by Sean Hogan of Trampoline.

PUBLISHED BY MELBOURNE BOOKS

http://www.melbournebooks.com.au/moc.html

Bendigo Art Gallery

THE LOST MODERNIST: MICHAEL O'CONNELL

26 November - 19 February

The lost modernist examines the work of British/Australian textile artist Michael O’Connell. Born in Cumbria in 1898 O’Connell moved to Australia in 1920. Over the following 17 years he became a critical member of the burgeoning Modernist movement in Melbourne. 

O’Connell, a member of the Arts and Crafts Society of Melbourne, made an enormous contribution to the development of modernism in Australia through his innovative and dynamic textiles. On his return to the UK in 1937, O’Connell became a key figure in contemporary textile design, working with renowned textile manufacturer Heals. O’Connell was also commissioned to produce the celebrated Festival of Britain wall hangings in 1951, which are now in the collection of the Museum of English Rural Life, Reading.

The exhibition has been co-curated by Professor Harriet Edquist, Director, Design Archives RMIT University and Tansy Curtin, Senior Curator, Bendigo Art Gallery. 

http://www.bendigoartgallery.com.au

Clement Meadmore - Stool

RMIT University industrial design alumnus Clement Meadmore designed this simple stool in the 1950s in Melbourne. Sold under the brand MEADMORE ORIGINALS other products designed by Meadmore included; bar stools, tables, telephone tables a range of chairs. Product can be identified by the simple manufacturers stamp as shown.

Clement Meadmore stool.

Meadmore Originals stamp on the base of a Clement Meadmore designed stool.

Grant Featherston - Mitzi chair

The Mitzi chair designed for Aristoc Industries by Grant Featherston in 1957 featured in the Exhibition 175 years of Design in Victoria. This burnt orange example was one of a set of four recently added to my collection.

Aristoc Industries Mitzi chair designed by Grant Featherston 1957.

EN-V Concept Car Video - GM Holden

Latest video presentation and images of the GM EN-V concept car. GM Holden's advanced design studio in Fisherman's Bend Melbourne contributed to the global design project with the blue “Xiao” (Happy) concept.

General Motors Japan Ltd. is displaying the next-generation Chevrolet EN-V concept vehicle at the Tokyo Motor Show’s “Smart Mobility City 2011” from Nov. 30 through Dec.11. It is the first Asian showing of the concept under the Chevrolet brand.

Video featuring GM Holden advanced design team work on EN-V.

Fresh Orange - Collection grows

The ORANGE exhibition has just closed but the collecting continues.

Award winning Wiltshire Staysharp Knife set designed by Bayly Design

The Decor Icicle insulated ice bowl designed by Tony Wolfenden. This ice bucket is one of the first products designed by Tony for Brian Davis.

Bessemer ash tray designed by Lionel Suttie.

Decor savory tray set including set with original packaging.

Crown Corning dish by Charles Furey.

Kambrook food and water heater in original packaging. This product is was of the first for Frank Bannigan.