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Kink AKA Andrew Southwood -Jones & Alexander Kashin Defi ning the emergent design acumen of the Kink collective is a smoothly elegant object aesthetic of tonal nuance, textural fi nesse and very clever thinking. To date the range of projects has been highlighted by some remarkable light designs, particularly the Aligned lamp of rubber coated abs, aluminium and cloth cord, which took out the Workshopped 13 People’s Choice Award. Also winners of the Qantas SOYA (Spirit of Youth Awards) program, Andrew Southwood-Jones and Alexander Kashin met at UTS (University of Technology, Sydney) where they were both studying architecture. While each acknowledges the benefits of their education, there was some frustration. “We came out knowing how to conceptualise a stadium or a city, but we didn’t know how to build a house,” says Southwood-Jones. The university also lacked the means to fabricate their projects to the level of quality they envisaged. Practical and solution-driven, the pair joined forces to purchase a laser cutter. The quality of their output was duly noted by fellow students, who started asking for assistance in fabricating. This naturally
led to architect and artist commissions and a burgeoning business flourished. By the end of university, Kink was well and truly established. Indeed, so successful has their fabricating become that there is precious little time for designing. “We are so busy with other work and every time we have a moment spare we use it to make something new and that is what we are interested in doing,” says Southwood-Jones in accord with Kashin, who, while cognisant of their lack of market knowledge, would rather allow the design process to evolve fi rst: “It’s similar to what happened with our fabrication services; we started doing it for ourselves rather than as a business,” says Kashin, who adds that object design took a parallel path. “We started because we really like it and enjoy it. We are not making money; in fact we are spending it all on fabrication. We really enjoy the part of designing prototyping and resolving. We are at the stage where we have a lot of ideas ready to go, but as to marketing...” And while their SOYA mentor for the year, Marc Newson, will have a few ideas to propel the duo into the marketplace, it is not
text Gillian Serisier photography Andrew Southwood-Jones and Alexander Kashin
Above—The creation of three dimensional numbers and letters has prompted exploration into myriad materials
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Emerging E merging a ass one one of of tthe he most interesting design groups of its generation, Kink is more a quirk than a crinkle in the design fabric.
something either is willing to pursue at the expense of design. “We are not in a rush, we have enough money from other things, but what is important to us is developing ideas,” says Southwood-Jones. The Aligned lamp, presented in August 2013, was quickly followed by a resin pendant lamp and a series of three-dimensional letters and numbers. The latter providing a steep learning curve in casting, with materials ranging from metal and silicone to concrete. That said, there is also a great respect for artisan manufacturers. “We started manufacturing the numbers ourselves, but with, say, resin, we tried a lot and it wasn’t really working. You need special equipment and skills. We have outsourced it, and she is a professional. We have realised we can’t be good at doing everything. It’s more about doing the research and the prototypes and understanding the material, but when it comes to the fi nished product we are better off sending it to a professional,” says Kashin. In a studio fi lled with ideas, conceptual and physical (the shelves are crowded with all manner of objects), the pair curated designs
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designing the west Grand Central… the Central Institute of Technology in Perth is now widely acknowledged as being one of the pre-eminent design schools for budding industrial designers in the country. Looking at the swag of accolades and awards under students’ belts, Jan Henderson asks, what’s happening in the West? There is a revolution happening in Western Australia and it’s not secession or the mining boom. In Perth, a group of dedicated teachers and talented students is making waves in the industrial design world with outstanding results. This hotbed of creativity can be found at the Industrial Design course, Central Institute of Technology, Perth (CIT). Peter Kitely is the course coordinator and oversees the program that incorporates object, furniture and product design with a component of design for the built environment. In relation to other design schools around the country, CIT has achieved outstanding results with many of its students recognised for their inspiring designs. To understand what is happening at CIT, we need to look at the specifics, the course. It’s structured over a three-year period. Certificate IV or fi rst year students concentrate on the acquisition of basic knowledge and the broadening of their skills, the second or Diploma year is consolidation of that knowledge and the fi nal year or Advanced Diploma is a time of self-discovery, with each student planning and developing their own individual projects and program of work. What is unique about this course is the dynamic and creative output from the students.
Above left—Float shelf designed by Callum Campbell, the Concept category winner in the 2013 Staron Awards. Image courtesy Callum Campbell
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Talking to Kitely is energising, he is enthusiastic about the school, other staff members and of course the students. He is at pains to point out that the school’s multifaceted approach to the industrial design course is the reason that students are making a name for themselves. He cites dedication of staff and enthusiasm of students, communication between all students and teachers, the ability to change and be flexible with course programing and the encouragement of students to reach out and develop their creativity, as some of the reasons for their success. As a small faculty with at most 70 students at any given time, CIT has fashioned a curriculum that is varied and flexible. Kitely, an industrial designer, is the only full-time teacher; however, there are several part-time colleagues who specialise in sculpture, fi ne art, furniture design, cabinet making and industrial design. Kitely believes that it is important for the students to learn to draw and to be exposed to a multitude of mediums to broaden their perspectives. He champions the hands-on approach and ensures that students learn by ‘doing’ not just reading. One of his initiatives has been to institute conversations with colleagues in Singapore and
Above right—Arc chair designed by Aaron Leahy. Image courtesy of Aaron Leahy
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SU RVE Y
art
or industry?
of the most intimate collectables we own. What is the place of Australian designers within this massive market? Lou Weis talks to leading practitioners to see what the future holds. text Lou Weis
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Above—Collection of Vue chairs designed for Vue De Monde by Ross Didier for Ross Didier. Image courtesy of Ross Didier
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on the money
PROJECT EVANS & PARTNERS project Evans & Partners 58
location— Melbourne, Australia design—Bates Smart text—Maitiú Ward photography— Mark Roper
Understanding that the physical experience of an entity is integral to the relationship, Bates Smart’s interior for Evans & Partners is a far cry from the trading houses of a pre-GFC world.
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Above—The open plan office contains privacy panels that delineate the area but allow light to filter through all areas Right—The large meeting rooms feature up-cycled Eames circular table and Saarinen chairs Opposite—The Eames table in the boardroom seats 14 and is framed by the three Supernova up/down lights overhead
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