25 February 2010

Brian Parkes Joins JamFactory

Indesignlive talks to Adelaide's newest recruit.

With a double decade of experience in the design world, writer and curator Brian Parkes was a stalwart of Sydney’s design scene – until last week.

The Board of JamFactory Contemporary Craft & Design announced the appointment of Parkes as the organisation’s next Managing Director, which will see him uproot to Adelaide to head the operations at the renowned establishment.

“I think it is a good fit,” said Parkes of his burgeoning relationship with JamFactory, “in some ways it is serendipity – I have been here for 10 years at Object so I thought it was a good opportunity to do something new.”

As the Associate Director of Object for the past decade, Parkes has repositioned Object as a dynamic design institution reaching out to a broader audience and nurturing home-grown talent – a debate he is particularly passionate about.

“[Here in Australia] we don’t have the same infrastructure in supporting and showcasing design in the same way as we do art. Even though it is probably an equal force.“

Looking back over his time, Parkes considers 'Freestyle: new Australian design for living' as one of the highlights, which saw the works of 40 outstanding designers taken to Milan Triennale Design Museum in 2008. “And I am still seeing the ripple effects.”

Housing four studios for ceramic, furniture, metal and glass design and production, Parkes is looking forward to being immersed in the JamFactory’s prolific creative environment.

“It seems to me that there are some fantastic opportunities in South Australia and at the Jam Factory. It is a dynamic institution with incredibly strong foundations.“

“The blocks are well in place to be able to take it to another level."

JamFactory Contemporary Craft and Design
jamfactory.com.au