Syd Mead - Art Center Pasadena

Tonight Bernie Walsh and I joined legendary visual futurist Syd Mead and Roger Servick for a meal whilst in the US.

L-R: Ian Wong, Bernie Walsh, Syd Mead, and Roger Servick.

Syd Mead attended Art Center Pasadena. Art Center is the host for the GM PACE Conference this week where Bernie and I will present a paper. It was an honour in 2010 to present the sellout public lecture 'Syd Mead - Visual Futurist' in Melbourne and wonderful to see both Syd and Roger again.

Syd Mead's Chrysler - Ian Wong, Bernie Walsh and Syd Mead.

We were picked up at our Hotel and treated to a ride in Syd's classic 1972 Chrysler Imperial LeBaron. A wonderful night!

Syd's original artwork is currently on exhibition across the USA - Syd Mead: Progressions.

www.sydmead.com

Syd Mead - Concept sketching

Syd Mead is a legend in industrial design who has inspired generations of students, so it was no surprise that this week I introduced first year industrial design students at Monash University to his work on Blade Runner. The project brief relates to a device to measure and the Voight-Kampff emotion sensing machine used on replicants in Blade Runner was perfect.

I had the pleasure of hosting Syd in Melbourne in 2010 where he worked with students and gave a sellout public lecture. Bernie Walsh and I took Syd to view the Crown Casino gas flames on the Yarra river because they are similar to those featured in the opening sequence in Blade Runner designed by Syd Mead with Ridley Scott.  It was great to see Syd was honoured this year as a keynote at the IDSA conference in Boston.

Blade Runner Voight-Kampff concept sketch by Syd Mead.

Copyright Syd Mead

Voight-Kampff concept sketch by Syd Mead.

Copyright Syd Mead

Gas flames in Blade Runner opening sequence.

Syd Mead and Bernie Walsh visit gas flames at Crown Casino in Melbourne.

Syd Mead in Melbourne, Australia

Introduction for the public lecture 'An Audience with Syd Mead' by Ian Wong included the original RMIT library copy of Syd Mead's famous book Sentinel.

Syd Mead discusses Blade Runner and the sketch of the interior of the spinner at the public lecture 'An Audience with Syd Mead' in Melbourne Australia.

Blade Runner Convention Reel 1982

www.sydmead.com

www.berniewalsh.blogspot.com

Philips CID - The designers

Philips Centre for Industrial Design in Melbourne Australia was an award winning team of industrial designers based in a studio in Clayton. Over two decades from the mid 1960s to the mid 1980s this studio attracted the most talented industrial design graduates across Australia to apply for a position that would offer an exciting international career. The Philips global policy established under Knut Yran provided opportunities to travel and work at the Philips CIDC Eindhoven for these young Australian industrial designers. The experience of working in Eindhoven with legends like Syd Mead and amongst the global talent employed by Philips was career changing for most who had this unique opportunity.

Syd Mead rendering for Knut Yran and Philips CIDC Eindhoven.

Classic Philips house style rendering on grey canson paper by Ian Edgar for the 465 Deluxe colour television. This work was completed by Ian whilst in Eindhoven in 1975.

Those Australian's who are known to have worked at Philips CID Melbourne are listed below.

Industrial Designers - Clayton

Robert Ian EDGAR

Robert PATAKI

Graham DUELL

Guido CALKOEN

John WESTWOOD

Barry CRONE

David NAIRN

Mario MATKOVICH

Ross WHITEHEAD

John HADLEY

Andrew MORAN

Barry QUANTRELL

Mark ARMSTRONG

Don ROBERTSON

Jon SEDDON

Andy VONG

Ray DUNCAN

Greg FOSTER

Daphne FLYNN
Alfons van MAANEN

Carol PATSIAS

Stephen HOLMES

Warren HALL

Peter MARPLES

Jan HUYBOOM (Netherlands)

Gerry WEST (US/Australia)

Product Engineering

Ross WILLIAMS

Graphic Design

Lesley McGEE

Debbie RITCHIE

Model Makers

John HOBEN

Ken EADES

Alan TURNER

Administration

Liz KING

Pat ROGERS

Kathy ELY

The trip to Eindhoven recorded in the passport of Ian Edgar like so many of the Philips CID team.

Syd Mead - Mercedes gullwing

Syd Mead, when he visited RMIT in 2010, mentioned how much he loved his 1956 Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe. 

Mercedes Benz Gullwing at Motorclassica

Legendary visual futurist Syd Mead at RMIT in 2010

Blade Runner - No 1 Sci-Fi Film

Blade Runner has been voted number one sci-fi movie of all time beating Star Wars and other classics in the recent total film poll. Syd Mead's collaboration with Ridley Scott is legendary, beginning with the vehicles but expanding to many key elements of the film. Syd's work inspired many Victorian industrial designers who worked alongside him in Eindhoven with Philips and he continues to inspire current RMIT industrial design students.

Original Syd Mead visual for the spinner - Blade Runner 1982

Visual futurist Syd Mead, Bernie Walsh and current final year student Angelo in the RMIT industrial design wacom lab.

Chris Emmerson - Honoured.

No one enjoyed the visit to Melbourne by legendary visual futurist Syd Mead more than Victorian designer and illustrator Chris Emmerson. Chris was another of the many talented industry based lecturers I had when I was a student at RMIT. We would often spend time looking at the pages of Syd's Sentinel book and students like; Mark Wright, Mike Englisch and Alphonse van Mannen would inspire us all with their raw talent and capacity to emulate Syd's work. Elivio Bonollo had installed wonderful full size pin boards in 2B2, just like an automotive studio, and many full size airbrush illustrations were in progress whilst us first years looked on. Chris's contribution to the education of industrial designers at RMIT University was recognised with a Wacom tablet named in his honour.

Legendary visual futurist Syd Mead is delighted to meet Chris Emmerson in the RMIT University Wacom Lab. Syd kindly signed a very rare and precious Syd Mead concept design publication given to Chris whilst he was an automotive designer with General Motors Holden GMH.

Holden designer Chris Emmerson working with airbrush on a full size tape drawing at Holden's Fishermans Bend studio in the early 1980's.

Chris Emmerson airbrush cutaway illustration of the classic Holden Monaro.

http://www.emmerson-design.com.au

Syd Mead - RMIT 2010

It was a pleasure and honour to bring legendary visual futurist Syd Mead to Melbourne in 2010. Inspired by a studio with Bernie Walsh "Visual Futures" the idea to invite Syd happened one night, I googled his website and discovered he was planning a trip to Sydney. We were able to convince Syd to join us in Melbourne for a sold out "Audience with Syd Mead" event which coincided with the launch of the RMIT wacom lab.

Syd Mead at RMIT University

Capacity crowd of over 800 at RMIT Storey Hall for visual futurist Syd Mead's lecture. In collaboration with Alumni Relations this event was  considered the best Alumni event for 2010 and I was invited to represent RMIT University at an Alumni event in Vietnam as a result.

Syd Mead in RMIT Wacom lab with Bernie Walsh and Guy Burgoyne - GM Australia Advanced Design Studio. This lab was established with the support of GM Australia Design Director Tony Stolfo.

Dinner at Vlados Steakhouse Richmond: Paul Taylor, David Flynn, Bernie Walsh, Roger Servick, Syd Mead and Ian Wong