DQ Editor Alice Blackwood heads to the Design Institute of Australia for 175 Years of Victorian Design.
December 13th, 2010
Hi all,
I dropped in at the Design Institute of Australia the other day, in their Collins Street offices in Melbourne’s CBD.
There I discovered their new Design Gallery, which is situated at the front of their offices – and what a great space it is!
The exhibition currently on show is 175 Years of Victorian Design and is a treasure trove of everyday objects which, amazingly, have all been designed in Victoria.
From 1835 to 2010, curator Ian Wong has collected some really cool examples (all original!) of objects we use day-in day-out.
Word on the street is that Ian is an avid collector and has picked up many of these items on show at weekend markets and vintage/op shops… love it!
There’s the Redheads Safety Matches designed by Brian Sadgrove in 1975;
the Commonwealth Bank logo by Ken Cato (1990);
Freddo Frog by MacRoberton’s (1930);
the very familiar Baby Capsule by Robert Pataki and Phillip Slattery (1982);
Rob Pataki and Ian Wong with the baby capsule
the Oates All Australian Mop Bucket – something you’ll find in almost every Australian home – by DesignLab (1988)…
and the list goes on!
The exhibition is definitely worth visiting – it’s a real eye opener to discover that the objects we so often taken fore granted, owe their existence to talented Victorians.
175 Years of Victorian Design runs until 23 December 2010.
Design Gallery at the Design Institute of Australia
Level 1, 175 Collins Street, Melbourne
Open: Monday – Friday, 10am – 4pm
Admission is free
design.org.au/gallery
For more from Alice, check out the Design Quarterly blog.
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Sub-Zero and Wolf’s prestigious Kitchen Design Contest (KDC) has celebrated the very best in kitchen innovation and aesthetics for three decades now. Recognising premier kitchen design professionals from around the globe, the KDC facilitates innovation, style and functionality that pushes boundaries.
Channelling the enchanting ambience of the Caffè Greco in Rome, Budapest’s historic Gerbeaud, and Grossi Florentino in Melbourne, Ross Didier’s new collection evokes the designer’s affinity for café experience, while delivering refined seating for contemporary hospitality interiors.
Miele impressive new G 1283 SCVi dish washer is a fully integrated unit with a 12 place setting capacity that offers a range of design and washing options. Boasting a range of coloured fascia panels, this stylish unit is completed with fully electronic controls. With six programs to choose from including ‘SensorWash’ and ‘QuickWash’ and […]
Doshi Levien’s new Do-Maru armchair, designed for B&B Italia, draws on the studio’s distinct cultural influences and continues the unique design narrative the pair first brought to B&B in 2014.
Multi-disciplinary and award winning architecture and interior design firm, design world partnership (dwp), have created a dedicated showcase of projects and case studies that best reflect their professional creative diversity to be hosted in Bahrain. The five Design Talks will take place on Tuesday 16 March 2010 at The Capital Club Bahrain, one of dwp’s […]
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Savage Design’s approach to understanding the relationship between design concepts and user experience, particularly with metalwork, transcends traditional boundaries, blending timeless craftsmanship with digital innovation to create enduring elegance in objects, furnishings, and door furniture.
Esteemed international practice OMA has completed AIR in Singapore, a genre-straddling project defined by openness and an emphasis on waste.