Thinking Outside

Thinking Outside is an exhibtion showing from May 5 to July 9, 2018 at JamFactory, Seppeltsfield, South Australia.

In 2017, issues of housing affordability and egotistical millennial culture paraded like best-mates through the media. Spend-thrift, avocado brunchers, who can afford indoor plants but not four walls trended through economic reviews, talk-back radio and twitter feeds. Yet, an interesting trend waslurking in the background of all this. The human desire to possess things, especially those that seem the least attainable.

As the idea of owning a place to live becomes increasingly unattainable, the need to own things that remind us of something larger than ourselves, the outdoors, has increasingly become attainable in a different way. Since time immemorial, humans have sought to own things making contemporary designers and craftspeople perfectly poised for such a market.

Bringing the outward, in, Thinking Outside exhibits furniture, ceramics and textiles inspired by elements of the outdoors. While there is an obvious reference to works inspired by natural landscape – pieces made from natural timbers, fibres or those more figurative in nature - some works show subtler notions of the landscape, through colour or a versatility in their function.

Marcel Sigel's, Tulipa range, 2015 for goHome (NSW) – “a forward-thinking Australian design brand that mirrors Australia’s relaxed lifestyle” – takes clear reference from the petals of the tulip flower. Featuring wrap-around American Oak plywood legs, the coffee table, side table and stools are designed to work individually or together as a collection of multi-functional surfaces.

Three Adelaide-based furniture designers with a similar ethos present pieces focussed on local, sustainable and refined craftsmanship. Max Hunt, an Adelaide designer working from his studio Hunt Furniture in Brompton, Matt Taylor of Dashing Wood furniture in Edwardstown, and Matt Pearson of furniture and object design studio MJP Studio. Here, Pearson will present his first investigation into upholstery. The extremely comfortable cocoon-like hug of the HUSK chair, 2017, features screen-printed and embroidered linen by textile artist Lilly Buttrose.

Buttrose will also present her largest textile work to date. This linen wall-hanging or divider piece is inspired by patterns in the landscape. Buttrose says her work is like a “memory map” of the landscape – an undulating mountain range she might have seen in a recent trip to Switzerland or residency in Japan, or the patterns in the sand from the ebb and flow of waves.

Pattern plays an essential role in the works of South Australian ceramicist Stephanie James Manttan. The Reverse Flow pots, 2018, are made large for this exhibition. These pots are informed by the sculptural forms and woven patterns in indigenous basket weaving.

NSW ceramicist Tania Rollond’s work is more personal, yet equally abstracted. For this exhibition, she has created a body of new work reflecting the lush abundance of her vegetable garden and backyard; alongside works that imitate the strong scent of bushfire smoke that hung in the air at her Mittagong studio recently. Rollond’s says her strong surface work leaves “plenty of room for viewers to draw on their own experiences while interpreting what they see”.

Beautiful wallpaper produced by Melbourne based social enterprise Willie Weston, present interpretations of the Australian landscapes by Australian Aboriginal artists. The Ampilatwatja Collection designs are by artists from the community of Ampilatwatja. Located 350km from Alice Springs these Alyawarr artists are known for their brightly coloured paintings containing fine dots and childlike figurative depictions of the landscape. Other wallpapers in the exhibition have the exquisite abstracted design of Pandanus by Tiwi artist, Osmond Kantilla.

Inspired by the outdoors, near and far, this exhibition speaks to the inherent human need to be with nature. It is a simple reminder to think, outside.

JAMFACTORY BAROSSA
Seppeltsfield Road, Seppelstfield, SA, 5355, an hour’s drive from Adelaide via the Northern Expressway
Phone: 08 8562 8149
Email: seppeltsfield@jamfactory.com.au