Design Tasmania presents ICONIC Australian Design

Industrial Design is defined as the art or process of designing manufactured products. Our daily lives are powered by the outputs of industrial design- from cars and chairs to crosswalk buttons and powerboards– each balances form and function delivering products that are necessary. Many reach cult status and become becoming highly covetable and even collectable: some have pushed even further into our psyche and become ‘iconic’.

Designer Susan Cohn describes her transition into the field of industrial design thus: “Making inexpensive beautiful things is much harder than to do one-off art pieces. I wanted to take up that challenge.”

Designers working in the field of industrial design develop concepts and specifications aimed at problem solving; far from being a purely aesthetic exercise, they optimise purpose and value to bring innovative products and services into existence. The real challenge is overcoming the innumerable constraints to achieve actually getting something into market.

The designs and designers represented in ICONIC have mastered this crucial balance, elevating them to this exceptional status.

ICONIC Australian Design celebrates award winning and innovative Australian industrial design and features iconic designs from the 1880s to the present day.

Over 100 products designed in Australia including the Wiltshire Staysharp knife, Décor BYO wine cooler, Rosebank Stack Hat, and the Grant and Mary Featherston Sound Chair will be on display. Some innovations, like the Nylex Esky, were the result of our the unique Australian climate and lifestyle, but others like the Britax baby capsule and the Kambrook powerboard celebrate the capacity of our industrial design profession to bring a world first innovation to a global marketplace.

Chances are, many of our visitors have at one time used one, owned one, or, at least, wanted one of these items.

Curated by Monash University Senior Lecturer in Industrial Design Ian Wong, ICONIC Australian Design was first presented at Monash University as part of Melbourne Design Week 2019 with the support of the Design Institute of Australia, and then its first touring venue was at the SASA Gallery – University of South Australia in 2019. The objects featured in the exhibition are mostly from The Ian Wong Collection and were recently featured in 100 Objects – Australian Design in the Home commissioned by the Robin Boyd Foundation at Robin Boyd’s Walsh Street House. The Tasmanian presentation will incorporate additionally sourced design objects from local design icons.

DESIGNERS

Simon Ancher, Mark Armstrong, Peter Bayly, Kate Bissett Johnson, Fred Blochlinger, Richard Carlson, Ken Cato, Simon Christopher, Celina Clark, Paul Cockburn, Joyce Coffee, Selwyn Coffee, Susan Cohn, Hugo Davidson, Brain Davis, Arthur de Bono, Stuart Devlin, Anita Dineen, Ken Done, Ian Edgar, Grant & Mary Featherston, Brian Fitzpatrick, David Flynn, Robert Foster, Charles Furey, Walter Gheradin, Jim Hannon Tan, Edward Healy, Barry Hudson, Bill Iggulton, Mark Johnson, Edward Kayser, Helen Kontouris, Adrian Knapp, Denise Larcombe, Jack Magree, Steven Martinuzzo, Mario Martkovich, Mal McKechnie, William Moody, Robert Morrison, Gerard Mussett, Carl Neilsen, Brody Neill, Marc Newson, Charles Ng, Marc Pascal, Robert Pataki, Ron Rosenfeldt, Paul Schremmer, George Shepherd, Michael Simcoe, Phillip Slattery, Belinda Stening, Lionel Suttie, Paul Taylor, Wallace Tench, Bruce Thompson, Alfons van Maanen, Lisa Vincitorio, Anthony Wolfenden, Colin Wood, David Wood, Phillip Zmood and more.

OBJECTS

A G Healing Trio, 401H Radio, Aegis CZ1000, Alessi Cohncave Bowl, Alessi Fruit Loop, Alessi Picantinno, Alessi Nut Splitter, Alessi Antechinus Knife, Alpha Chair, Ansett Inflight Dish, Australian Made Logo, Audio Tactile Pedestrian Detector, AWA PZ4 TV, AWA Transistor Radio, Bessemer Europa Serving tray, Bessemer Quartic Punch Set, Blundstone 500 Series Boots, Blundstone 980 Series Boots, Breville BSG1974 – Sandwich Maker, Britax Baby Capsule, Café Bar, Capri Canisters, Capri Casa Ware Canisters, Caroma Bathmate range, Caroma Bathroom Utility Stool, Clipped Wing Bench, Crystal Crown Corning Dishes, Crystal Crown Corning Hunter Glassware, Crystal Crown Corning Regis Glassware, Curve magazine, Daniels Sharpsmart, Decimal Coins, Décor BYO Wine Carrier, Decor Drink Flask, Décor Stack Fresh, Décor Wine Cask Cooler, Dorf Diamond Booster Tapset, Design World magazine, Duperite Measuring Cups, Duperite Qantas Salt and Pepper Shakers, Eveready Dolphin Lantern, Ferris Car Radio, Ferris Transistor Radio, Fink + Co Jug, Habana Beaker Set, Hecla Electric Iron, HK Monaro 1968, Hortico watering can, Kambrook Axis Kettle, Kambrook Powerboard, KE12 Electric Kettle, Keep Cup, Kempthorne Clipper light fitting, Knog Oi Bicycle Bell, Lockheed Lounge, Madame Ruby, Magis Dish Doctor, Malleys Esky, Nylex Esky, Nylex Qantas Ash Tray, Nylex Swing Top Tidy, Oates All Australian Mop Bucket, Orbitkey, Phillips FM 620 Radio, Phillips FM 900 Radio, Planet K100 Lamp, Ronstan Orbit Block, Rosebank Stackhat, Sabco Timer Tap, Shepherd Castors, Sunburst Coffee Table, Switch Battery, TAA Inflight Dish, Vulcan Conray Heater, Vulcan Quasar Heater, Willow Billy Can, Willow Alpine Jug, Wiltshire Bar B Mate & Tongs, Wiltshire Staysharp Knife, Wovo Lamp and more.

EXHIBITION | 25th June–August, 2020

OPENING ONLINE | 6–8pm Thursday 25th June, 2020

CLOSING PARTY | TBC, August, 2020

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