Selected works from RMIT Culture collections and International Collections

Grand Featherstone, Leaflet, 1968-1976

In going through the RMIT design archives, I was drawn to the various 1960’s furniture design advertising material. The distinct patterns, colours and shapes exude style and nostalgia. They allow you to peer into a seemingly perfect world where a great chair is the answer to all life’s problems.

Furniture Makers of Australia, manufacturers, Leaflet advertising Aristoc Gyro designed by Grant Featherston, 1968-1976, leaflet, 17.7 x 24.7 cm, RMIT Design Archives, Gift of Ian Howard, 20180001.2018.0023

Aristoc Fler Pty Ltd, Leaflet Advertising Fleresque, 1968-1976

I’m drawn to these leaflets for their meticulous choice of colour palettes and contrasting wallpapers and artworks. The 1960’s are considered a peak time period for designers and the approach they took still feels fresh.

Aristoc Fler Pty Ltd, designers and manufacturers, Leaflet Advertising Fleresque, 1968-1976, leaflet, 17.8 x 24.8 cm, RMIT Design Archives, Gift of Ian Howard, 20180001.2018.0018

Isolation leaflet 2020

In response to the 1960’s furniture advertising materials found in the RMIT Design Archives, I have created a contemporary take on the leaflet. The sense of perfection that is presented in these works is aspirational but ignores the mundane, annoying and ugly qualities in life.

My version of this leaflet looks at isolation in 2020. Saturated in bold colours and bombarding patterns, it imagines life in lockdown with a dose of reality and an injection of flower power.

Brayden Fraser

Brayden Fraser is a gay creative writer studying the Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing at RMIT University and lives in Bendigo, Australia. He’s twenty-two years old and writes essays, short stories, poetry, and fiction. He often writes in isolation, preferably at night. You can find his website here https://braydenfraser.wordpress.com and his poetry page here https://www.instagram.com/stormy_ascent2