Interplay

interplay

interplay

exploring materials and process in design

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interplay : an exhibition of craft and design objects from the studios of 16 Tasmanian artists, designers and makers, exploring the interplay between materials, process, form, function and imagination.

Moonah Arts Centre 6th August - 4th September 2021 23-27 Albert Road Moonah Presented by designedmade inc.

Moonah Arts Centre Catalogue editing Linda Fredheim Photography Imants Krumins: cover, p19 Peter Whyte: p7, 17, 23, 27 All other images courtesy of the respective artists Copyright © 2021 the authors, artists and photographers. Apart from use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced or distributed by any process or stored in any retrieval system or data base without prior permission from copyright holders ISBN 978-0-9757533-6-1

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CONTENTS

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Foreward

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Exhibition

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Exhibitors Andrea Barker Christine Hannan David Pannell Duncan Meerding Linda Chee Linda Fredheim Nanna Bayer Nataša Milenović Paul Allen Penny Malone Penny Ruthberg Renata Carmichael Sara Lindsay Svend Madsen Tanya Scharaschkin Till Julien

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Biographies 3

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interplay We started thinking about this exhibition late in 2019 around the theme of interplay - the operation or effect that two or more things have on each other, an interaction. Plans were made for studio visits, the sharing of ideas, collaborations, and working at different scales to current practice. And then as the events of 2020 developed, all those ideas got thrown out of the window, as uncertainty descended.

It quickly became apparent that our exhibition scheduled for mid 2020 was looking unlikely, with everyone's energy focused elsewhere, and interactions discouraged. Fortunately Moonah Arts Centre allowed us to reschedule our exhibition to 2021.

Somehow the extra time and more time alone in the studio has led to a different body of work. A questioning of why we make and what drives the process. A refining of fundamental ideas and a recognition of how inspiration and the interplay of ideas drives creativity. Can a process be the finished work? What happens when a familiar technique or material is used in an different way?

Can an experience be recreated in an object?

We hope you enjoy this collection of prototypes and experiments, artworks and design objects.

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EXHIBITORS

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ANDREA BARKER ‘I feel, think, remember, want, and do; all the future things which are taking shape in me and will sometime come to consciousness. ‘ Carl Jung It is human nature to arrange things - objects in our homes and plants in our garden. For a ceramic artist like me the formation of shape and line which define space are concepts that I contemplate daily. Much time is spent making objects, considering compositions and putting particular bowls together for qualities that appeal to me; a sense of something floating, how one piece gently cradles another. It is only then that they can tell stories and convey what I am always striving for in my work - meditative objects that speak of quietness and a still moment in time.

Bloom 2021 Ceramic bowls, reduction fired, high temperature glazes.

200 x 350 x 350mm 10

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CHRISTINE HANNAN This work is about the interplay between the mediums of glass and lino printing.

For a long time I have tried unsuccessfully to use a carved lino print to create glass pieces, however in creating this series of four works I have finally managed to do this. After making a plaster mold of the lino print, I fused the glass over it, which transferred the pattern from the lino print onto the glass. This has enabled me to make organic glass forms, which have the texture of the lino print.

The inspiration for the carved pattern on the lino print is from ripples on the surface of water. The glass pieces emerge and overlap the embossed and printed paper of this work.

Ripples 1, 2, 3, & 4.

(detail) Glass, paper, lino print paint, wash 4 framed works 52 x 52 x 5cm 12

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DAVID PANNELL This is a relatively simple cabinet, designed for storage with doors incorporating lightly sculptured panels. The interplay of light and surface creates shadow lines that highlight the tactile quality of the timber.

Constructed from recycled timber that was once open shelving in a commercial kitchen, it will now hopefully be used for another generation.

Reworked

Kauri, Hoop pine, glass, oiled and waxed finish.

1150 x 720 x 315mm 14

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DUNCAN MEERDING This branch inspired linear light is made from Horizontal Scrub, a timber endemic to Tasmania. The branch form floats in mid-air, with warm white light bursting from the underneath in an unexpected and hidden way.

The interplay of light through and around objects is especially of interest to me and this piece also explores the interplay between nature and technology – through the rustic raw Horizontal Scrub wood and the technology of the special dot free LED light source. .

Horizontal Linear Down Light

Horizontal scrub, custom dot free LED light source, black cloth covered cord and various other electrical componetry 1000mm long 16

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LINDA CHEE Wearable art is usually about the garment.

This however is just the finishing point from the interplay with thread into the three dimensional form. The deconstruction of this form exposing the thread and surface questions our perception of what can be felt, seen and used.

Do you read the ‘whole’ work or explore each part to form a journey of three and two dimensions. The two accompanying photographs takes the viewer one step further away from the functional towards an appreciation of the art experience.

Let’s celebrate the surface and the threads that bind not just the final form

‘Walking Threads….

A journey of entanglement’ 2020 (detail) Merino wool, silk, paper, sinamay, photographs, Huon pine 1000 x 3100 cm 18

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LINDA FREDHEIM I enjoy making objects that store and contain - Boxes, drawers cases and cabinets. Objects that protect and obscure our possessions, but which may also say something about the owner. I'm also fascinated by campaign furniture for the sense of style and order it brought to the owners temporary lodgings, and in some sense these timbers bags are a distillation of that ethos - objects that are both practical and impractical at the same time.

For me, the interplay between "form" and "function" always drives the outcome of the design process. I usually produce a number of full size and/or scale drawings and models which allow me to play with changing the size and shape of components, to test both the look and the feel of the piece, but perhaps I do often let "form" have a slight advantage.

I used the technique of laminating several 0.6mm veneers over molds to create 2 curved surfaces, which I then combined to produce the bags. Simple to look at - complex to make.

2 kurver

Myrtle and eucalypt veneer, rubber 240 x 260 x 80mm 240 x 240 x 80mm 20

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NANNA BAYER Obscurus Flos Riding up home to Strickland Avenue, The Mountain looks every time different. Sometimes it bathes pale in full sun.

On a cloudy day it shows all the full colours of her bluishgreenish clothing. Other times she is hiding under the thick blanket of soft feathers.

On one of my walks to The Mountain, several small shrubs were blossoming. I knelt down to see the flowers.

They were so tiny, so multifaceted, so complex, so beautiful. I was wondering how many of us hurrying and sweating up the hill challenging our bodies really stop to see what a mysterious and amazing miniature world we have around us.

On this particularly walk I wanted to magnify that tiny almost invisible beauty. This urge led me to make giant imaginary flower hoping the colourful carpels and the lit stamens would awaken our senses to the tiniest miracles of our environment.

The 'body' of the light sculpture is stoneware where the electric components are stored. From that open flower bud kind of form optic fibres are cascading down. In the end of each fibre there is a small coloured porcelain piece and the tiny dot of light.

Pendos Flos

Porcelain, stoneware, optic fibre, electrical componetry 1600 x 500 x 500mm 22

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NATAŠA MILENOVIĆ In my recent pieces, I am exploring the many shapes found in the intertidal zone and on the forest floor, finding various ways to replicate my impressions in metal.

Mingling different techniques like sculpting with polymer clay and casting with forging, I then solder the different elements together in an intuitive and playful manner. The various segments start to talk to each other and begin to belong to each other. Aiming to mimic nature's little treasures which can be randomly found together, but perfect next to each other.

Bouquet of change

3 brooches copper, bronze, sterling silver, steel, patina 15 x 35 x 80mm 24

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PAUL ALLEN I'd always had a passion for wave-skiing: an invaluable outlet of complete personal freedom. Suffering head injury consequently precluded this activity, but focusing more on design ideas in tandem with woodworking courses enhanced the search for unconventional solutions.

After again stumbling on vacuum-pressing I realised the potential of using this to reshape timber using laminates. This allowed revisitation of romantic nostalgia - by understanding a new freedom to re-create structurally sound wavelike forms, leading to Waveform Coffee Tables, the Waveform Shark Table and the like-minded Lip Service chairs!

The greatest design challenge for the Shark Table was to create it in such a way it was not only visually obvious - and only from each end - but also symmetrical. The Shark fin was added as an obvious indication of the intended shark-shaped cross-brace. The Lip Service chairs are designed to also recreate the breaking wave sensation, and combined with the 'Boogie-Board' as backing to produce a surprisingly comfortable dining experience.

Shark Table Dining Setting

Blackwood, Tas-Oak Veneers, bendy ply, toughened safety glass 1050 x 1970 x 1300m 26

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PENNY MALONE I have always been interested in making work that has both an aesthetic and practical appeal. The interplay between form and function.

My pieces in Interplay can be enjoyed as sculptural forms, soft furniture and accessories that will have a life beyond the exhibition as large storage containers.

Drawstring Sacks constructed 2021 using commercially printed hemp textile designs from my Bush Decoration series, cotton and rope.

Big Sacks

Silk screened fabric, linings, vinyl and rope dimensions variable 28

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PENNY RUTHBERG Dog Dreaming embodies the definition of 'interplay' as it unites my ceramic and printmaking practices and plays with their associated materials.

Chemical colourants, organic materials and fire cause the clay body to assume a primordial quality that brings to mind ancient dog mythologies.

Dog Dreaming

2021 Pit fired clay, wood Dimensions variable (approx. 12cm h) 30

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RENATA CARMICHAEL Amos is about the interplay between success and failure.

Sometimes we don't do things we might enjoy because we are concerned our results won't be good enough, or we will experience failure. And even worse, we worry how other people might see that failure. Sometimes we do the thing but get so focused on achieving a successful end result that we forget to enjoy the process. But failure is actually a valuable part of life. It informs us, and creates opportunities for growth.

It can be an inspiration.

This piece has been developed using a photo from my third least successful bushwalk. I enjoy bushwalks, but as an asthmatic with a recurring ankle injury it's not something I am suited to or particularly good at. On this occasion I thought I'd give Mt Amos a go. By two thirds of the way up I had used my reliever more than in the entire previous year, aggravated the ankle, and slipped and got a substantial graze. I decided continuing wasn't going to work so I headed back down. I failed to achieve the goal I had set. But I enjoyed it, I took photos, looked at anything that caught my interest, and took in the views.

Aspects of that "failed" trip have been used in other "successful" parts of my life for years. Now part of it has been used to experiment with a different making technique to produce this rug. Which will go in a caravan, for more camping and potentially failed bush walking trips.

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Amos

Acrylic yarn, shadecloth 108cm x 72cm

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SARA LINDSAY These objects reflect on our embodied relationship with place and the landscape. Using processes borrowed from printmaking invites the consideration of the marks made on us and by us in the world as we journey. These objects honour this land Nipaluna, and journey with us, as we walk with wonder and humility.

Wondering

Jewellery objects Huon pine, relief printing ink, silver, brass, copper and stainless steel Dimensions variable 34

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SVEND MADSEN I like to design and make items that have clean lines and are functional. My aim here was to design pieces of furniture for the entrance/exit to the home which could be used for storing keys, coats and other items for daily use.

The furniture reflects the interplay between practicality and beauty while the mirror provides a moment of reflection of either a welcome or farewell to the day's events.

Coat and hat stand

Huon Pine, Celery top pine, steel base 1770 x 330 x 330mm

Mirror with shelf and drawers Huon Pine, Rosewood, glass mirror 900 x 680 x 320mm 36

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TANYA SCHARASCHKIN This piece is an interplay between my artistic and scientific interests and an interplay between different art forms. I have used the traditional Ukrainian egg dyeing process to create botanically-themed artwork on eggs.

This work challenges the traditions of botanical art (typically done as watercolour on paper), by creating botanical art on eggs. I have not limited the subject matter to the external morphology of plants, but have continued my exploration of incorporating plant anatomy into my artwork. Working on a curved surface and using a sequential dyeing process was mentally challenging especially in trying to create the illusion of three-dimensional designs.

An unexpected additional challenge to the creating this artwork, was working out how to display the eggs. I initially explored created woven baskets (like birds’ nests) and found myself exploring weaving techniques and the testing the interplay between different plant materials and shapes. The woven creations proved too fussy a backdrop for intricately dyed eggs, resulting in further experimentation and interplay between other hobbies, before finding a very simple solution.

Eggscepional art

Eggs (goose, chicken), bees wax, dyes variable dimensions 38

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TILL JULIEN The inspiration for Water Marks comes from observing the shapes of water pooling on the surface of the ocean that I witness on morning walks along the beaches of the Channel region in Southern Tasmania. The repetition of patterns rippling and pooling on a moving body of Water, a hypnotic and calming experience, is what drew me to capture and express this in a textile design.

In the process to make these works, I explored and created a composition by using cut out shapes taken from sketches, and while still resolving the design, the application of stencil and block printing techniques was also a part of the initial drawing process. Resulting in an Interplay of elements to produce a textile design.

Watermarks

(details) Textile design, hand stencil and block printing on linen 5 x stretched textiles frames 500mm x 500mm 40

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BIOGRAPHIES

Andrea Barker is a Ceramic Artist who works primarily in porcelain, making both functional ware & 'Object' works of Art, exploring notions of stillness and silence.

She has a particular interest in antiquity and the archeology of the vessel, having spent numerous years in the Middle East working on archeological excavations.

Andrea has exhibited widely and her works are held in private and public collections including the History and Porcelain Museum Nyon, Switzerland. Andrea has been the recipient of numerous grants - Australia Council for the Arts Overseas studio residency to Tokyo Japan & awarded the Grand Prize 'Poisson d'Or' at the International Triennale of Contemporary Porcelain 2001 and in 2019 winning the Clunes Ceramic Award.

Andrea holds a BA in Ceramic design from Monash University, graduating in 1990. She is a former lecturer at the Victorian College for the Arts, Melbourne and now resides in Hobart. Andrea is represented by Colville Gallery. www.colvillegallery.com.au Christine Hannan completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at UTAS and taught visual art for many years in Tasmanian schools. She later returned to UTAS and completed a Masters of Contemporary Art and

since then has worked as an artist and designer in her home studio, exhibiting and selling her work at galleries both in Tasmania and interstate.

Primarily she works in the medium of kiln formed glass however she likes to combine mediums, also working with printmaking, painting and ceramics.

The patterns of the natural environment such as growth, decay, erosion, tide and wind, inspire her and these organic patterns can be seen in the lines and shapes of her work christine.hannan.artist@gmail.co m David Pannell is a designer maker based in Franklin, Tasmania. His work aims to create forms that recede into the background. Currently he is exploring the shaping of surfaces to create shadows and tactile surfaces on storage cabinets.

The use of reclaimed materials allows him to construct furniture that is both sustainable and valued.

David received a BA (Design) from Curtin University, Western Australia (1998), and a BA of Fine Arts from the University of Tasmania (2018). info@figgdesign.com.au Duncan Meerding is a a lighting

and furniture Designer/Maker based in Tasmania, Australia.

Much of his work is inspired by the natural environment.

Concentration on overall form, rather than intense detailing, he has an interest in how light performs through and around these forms and materials.

Light emanating from the periphery reflects the alternative sensory world in which he exists and designs, being legally blind with less than 5% vision.

He tries to avoid quick moving trends in his work, but instead focuses on designing and making things to stand the test of time, both metaphorically and physically. www.duncanmeerding.com.au Linda Chee is a textile artist and designer who specialises in ecologically sustainable dyeing using Australian Eucalypts.

Works include art wearables objects and sculptures. Leaves are grown and sourced on the land around the studio in the Huon Valley. Experiments and explorations test the boundaries of Eucalypts urging new directions with the use of natural materials.

Having a background as an educator and designer allows a flexibility of thinking to challenge the preconceived perceptions of textile art 43

www.geckostrands.com Linda Fredheim is a furniture designer and maker based in Hobart. She has exhibited widely and undertakes both furniture commissions, collaborative projects with other artists and small production runs of bespoke packaging. www.lindafredheim.com.au Nanna Bayer is a ceramicist specialising in the Japanese Nerikomi technique, utilising thin, delicate and colourful porcelain to create functional and sculptural objects. She was an early pioneer of this technique when she started 30 years developing a signature style winning her international recognition and acclaim.

In 2020, she became a residentmember of Onoma Cooperative of artists, designers and artisans, a world renowned artist community in Fiskars, Finland. Her work has been exhibited in 60 exhibitions in 17 countries, and she has given invited talks, demonstration and workshops at symposia and conferences around the world.

In 2011 she moved to Tasmania, where she has been commissioned by Mona, and has exhibited widely throughout Australia. In 2019 she co-organised the Australian Ceramics Triennale in Hobart, and recently completed 44

a 1 year Artist In Residency at CAT @nannabayer Nataša Milenović is a german trained goldsmith who migrated to Tasmania in 2001 where she established her independent practice as a jewellery maker.

She has exhibited in numerous group exhibitions statewide and her solo show Hidden, 2006 was funded by New Work grant from the Australian Council for the Arts.

Nataša is intrigued by repetition and conglomeration found in nature, and by patterns in fungi and flora. Her jewellery playfully combines organic and geometric forms, using an intermix of silver, gold, copper and brass with contrasting patinas and Australian gemstones. Traditional techniques of the trade are applied to create contemporary pieces with heirloom value. Specializing in limited edition and one of a kind jewellery, Nataša also welcomes custom makes and can be visited in her studio in Balfour House, Cygnet www.natasamilenovic.com.au Paul Allen graduated as a Mechanical Engineer in 1994 and shortly after was gifted with a severe head injury. He'd always had an interest in furniture designing and making, and after rehabilitation from his injury

discovered a course in Wood Design TAFE in Hobart. There he found not only acceptance of his short-comings but also great encouragement in testing new processes. This led to ongoing study at UTAS in the Furniture Design studio.

His latest - and by far the largest commission was the Salamanca Courtyard Redevelopment project in 2020, designing and making outdoor dining tables and benches all from Celerytop Pine. pallen71@gmail.com Penny Malone is a studio based textile designer and maker. Pattern is the focus of her work and she gains inspiration from both the natural and built environment. www.pennymalone.com.au Penny Ruthberg is an interdisciplinary artist whose work investigates the emotional bond between humans and canines and explores the deep connections between the species.

Her art practice investigates the symbolic representation of dogs throughout history and across cultures in language, literature, visual arts and mythology. @pennyruthberg Renata Carmichael is based in Moonah, where her practice is usually focused on creating

sculptural furniture pieces inspired by animal forms. "My work is inspired by the world around me.

Primarily this inspiration comes from nature and from animals, however I believe it is also important to learn to see the art in everything around us including in our manufactured goods, in the things people throw away, and in the work arounds and practices people develop in their every day life." renata@mail.org Sara Lindsay is an emerging Hobart-based artist, designer, and object maker. Working through the synthesis of material and process her work reveals analogies between the natural world and material culture. Her work has been selected for exhibitions including the Clarence Prize for Excellence in Furniture Design in 2017 and 2021 and the Hobart City Council Design Award, Vivid and Emerging Contemporaries at Craft ACT in 2016. She received the Jim Bacon Memorial Scholarship and the Jonathan Holmes Scholarship, both from UTAS, in 2015. Sara graduated from the School of Creative Arts and Media UTAS, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (First class Honours) in 2015 and holds a Bachelor of Social Science from Edith Cowan University. www.saralindsay.com.au

Svend Madsen was born in Denmark where he studied drawing and design at the Interior Architect School in Copenhagen.

He was always interested in woodwork and design and since leaving the business world now has the time to pursue these interests. Svend's pieces have been sold to purchasers in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, with other work going to Boston, London and Trondheim.

Svend's philosophy for woodworking is to design and make items that are beautiful and useful. He is influenced by the clean lines and functionality of Scandinavian design.

svend.madsen@internode.on.net Dr Tanya Scharaschkin is a botanist, artist and teacher. She is inspired by what she sees around her and is intrigued by patterns in nature with many of her projects incorporating a botanical theme.

Tanya has BSc and MSc in Botany and Zoology from Pakistan, a Master’s degree in Vertebrate Paleontology and a PhD in Plant Systematics from the US. Much of her academic career was spent at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane. She is now a freelance botanist and artist, living and working in Collinsvale, Tasmania. Tanya’s introduction to drawing and painting has been

through botanical art, but she does not see herself purely as a botanical artist. She enjoys blurring the separation between art and science and mixing up different art forms, crafts and hobbies. She hopes her art will inspire others to appreciate the biology of plants. scharasc@gmail.com Till Julien uses her textile practice to explore relationships between the illustration of living forms and the creation of printed cloth and functional objects.

Her design philosophy focuses on combining elements from the natural world and placing these forms and patterns into domestic interiors. Through this process she engages with the Tasmanian landscape where her textiles become a narrative and connection to place.

She references and transform symbols, shapes, and forms found in the natural environment into innovative textiles and furnishings, aiming to produce work with a sense of sustainability www.tilldesigns.com.au designedmade inc is a not-forprofit group based in Hobart providing members with a platform to showcase their work and network with other designers and organisations.

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The group was established in Tasmania in 1995 by a group of furniture designers and designermakers, and was formerly known as the furniture designers association.

Over the years, the group has evolved and now includes members working in a range of practices including jewellery, ceramics, printmaking, textiles as well as furniture and wood.

In 2015 the name was changed to better reflect the membership. www.designedmade.com.au Moonah Arts Centre (MAC) is a regional focus for arts and cultural development in Glenorchy City and across southern Tasmania. Owned and operated by Glenorchy City Council, MAC aims to enrich community by providing accessible and affordable arts and cultural experiences. MAC’s contemporary, state of the art facility promises to surprise and delight people of all ages.

In 2015, a ‘once in a lifetime’ investment saw MAC move from Hopkins Street into a brand new, purpose-built space on Albert Road.

Here, MAC will continue to provide accessible, affordable arts and cultural experiences to the local community for decades to come. www.moonahartscentre.org.au

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interplay an exhibition of design objects from the studios of 16 Tasmanian artists, designers and makers Andrea Barker Christine Hannan David Pannell Duncan Meerding Linda Chee Linda Fredheim Nanna Bayer Nataša Milenović Paul Allen Penny Malone Penny Ruthberg Renata Carmichael Sara Lindsay Svend Madsen Tanya Scharaschkin Till Julien