Exhibition: Where Have All The Hallways Gone?

An exhibition of new work by designer maker Hamish Hill will open on April 5 at Barn Gallery, Montsalvat Arts Centre in Victoria.

‘Where have all the hallways gone? is about reimagining timber furniture for the real or missing hallway’, said Hamish. ‘Modern architecture and design often bypasses the traditional hallway, which was the entrance to the home. Modern people still perform the rituals on arriving and departing the home. On arrival, they take off their hats, coats and wet or dirty shoes or boots, they put down their bags, umbrellas and other encumbrances, and then they relax. These activities are reversed on departure and the need for an item of furniture to assist in these tasks seems logical.’

Hamish’s works are held in collections in Australia, England, Norway and the U.S.A. He has exhibited in many group and juried shows at The RMIT Gallery, Craft Victoria Gallery, The Exhibition Buildings, Eltham Wiregrass Gallery, Detail Contemporary Furniture Gallery, Qdos Gallery, Doncaster/Manningham Gallery, Wunderlich Gallery and the Meat Market Craft Centre/Metro!

His work is based on a philosophy of simplicity and integrity of form and structure. Many of his pieces incorporate different woods, often accenting particular aspects of the design with a different colour of timber. Having a keen interest in the individual characteristics and unique beauty of each piece of timber, Hamish cuts and dries most of the wood he uses himself. This takes a minimum of two years to dry and then requires extensive machining. He obtains all of his timber from unwanted suburban trees and is always on the lookout for appropriate trees that have been cut down.

For the past forty years Hamish has been working with wood, designing and making furniture and buildings. He has worked collaboratively with artists on a number of sculpture projects and has been involved in community arts activities and festivals, working with adults and children in Dandenong, Knox, Warburton, Williamstown and Doncaster and Templestowe.

Photos: Vicki Petherbridge

When: April 6 - 29, 2018, 9am-5pm daily
Where: Montsalvat Arts Centre, 7 Hillcrest Avenue, Eltham, Vic 3095
Learn more about Hamish Hill at hamishhill.com.au