established 2004

useful things

sustainable living

“Our objects signal who we are”. Akiko Busch

design/location was an exhibition in the 2009 Castlemaine State Festival looking at objects as artefacts. It is a conversation of objects and designing that explores Australian culture. Special thanks to Peter Perry Director of the Castlemaine Art Gallery and Museum for his support with this project. http://www.castlemainegallery.com/

The pieces in this exhibition where all designed in the cultural location - Australia.

An artefact is any object made or modified by a human culture, and traditionally, one later recovered by an archaeological endeavour. design/location is an archaeology of now.

Design is how we make things.

Culture is why we make things and how we design.

The resonance of a long human history is part of the fabric of our location;  inhabiting us as we inhabit it. For example the small fissure in our language that are the place names from languages no longer spoken; the sounds remain as echo’s, distorted and distant, yet present.

There is an archaeological record of a change in stone axe material and design that occurred twenty five thousand years ago. That is about five hundred lives or generations ago, and one hundred and five times the number of years since Cook landed here.

Is the curve on the greenstone axe blade as satisfying as the rounded back of an I-phone? These things are just right. That is design.

A wood, a metal, and a glass spear tip all hold the promise of a good meal, the design of each an evolution towards the desired outcome, and based in a specific set of skills and an understanding of the task, yet each expresses this in a new material.

This trajectory is design, and somehow leads us from the greenstone axe to Marc Pascals polycarbonate lamp with halogen bulb connected to a massive grid, generation system, and large holes in the ground.

All the chairs here are riffs on the theme. As a culture who sits, we can understand them and get the references to traditions, our bodies, and new materials.

We have sitting: with woods from an English forest (West country chair), sitting with fibreglass and upholstery (101 chair), sitting with rotationally moulded plastic (Cero stool) or sitting with spring steel (the Montreal Chair). All aimed at a cultural need and each an expression of a specific technology.

In design/location designers talk about their influences and consider their objects from the perspective of the location and/or culture they where made in.

We recognise from the past the Hills Hoist, the Furphy, the Coolgardie Safe, the Victor Mower, mechanical wool clippers, Bionic Ear, the flight recording black box… all iconically Australian.

This exhibition is a conversation that is finding ways to see or understand ‘Australian-ness’ in design and more widely. 

The designers in design/location are inspired by the landscape or ocean, light or zoomorphic forms. Some are influenced by migrant experience, others are focused on a global practice mediated by communication technology and adventure overseas to connect to lager markets and manufacturers.

Click on the name to hyperlink to audio of the interview.

Alan Saunders, presenter of Radio National’s By Design program.

Marc Pascal, a Melbourne designer maker of lighting and ceramics. Designer of the Worvo lamp a contemporary Australian design icon.

Ros Hines, of Design Refinery, a design collective in Melbourne. Formerly of Tongue and Groove in Smith St Collingwood. A collector of mid century furniture.

Nicholas Dattner, of Nicholas Dattner and co, makers of Australian timber furniture recently closed after 25 years in business.

Nick Rennie, independent designer based in Melbourne, prototypes, exhibits world wide and has designs manufactured in Australia and overseas.

Michael Alvise, of schamburg + alvisse, designers and producers commercial designer furniture in Sydney.

Robert Foster of Fink and Co in Canberra, designer and head of Fink and co, the Fink Jug is one of the most recognised contemporary Australian designs.

Brian Steendyke, architect and furniture designer based in Brisbane, Cero stool being another Icon of Australian design.

Phil Elson, potter, based in Castlemaine. A focused artisan and technician working in porcelain with many years dedicated to the skills and techniques of ceramics.

Helen Kountouris, independent designer based in Melbourne with designs manufactured locally and overseas.

Brian Parks, of Object Gallery in Sydney. Curator of Freestyle, an exhibition and publication on contemporary Australian design.

Jon Goulder, independent designer based in Perth, designs produced in Australia and overseas, now focusing on being a designer maker - exploiting his trade skills.

Listen to interviews with Australia's top designers and design commentators on the question:

“Does living in Australia register in your design?”

Click on each name below to hear the interview.

usethings is engaged in design and produced this exhibition in 2009.