Envelope

Image: Anthea van Kopplen, Taka and Crystal, location: Yarraville, Melbourne date: 21 02 2008, time: 12:30pm, photographer: Tomas Frimil

The idea for the envelope started in 1998 after seeing the 1998/9 collection by Issey Miyake. In the collection he collaborated with artist Shigeru Ban to create a collection from recycled paper. The outcome, did not appeal to me, but the process did. Making garments from paper. The garments reminded me of similar ideas in the 1960’s when disposable clothing became a trend as a response to a functional approach to fashion. This is how the idea for the envelope started - with Tyvek a 25% recycled content high density poly ethylene (HDPE) paper.

For me, the best thing that came out of designing the envelope is its accessibility. Anyone can make it. It is just a few straight lines of stitching and folding; and even more excitingly, to get to that point - was more than looking for a way to stitch a few straight lines! It was a battle of the hands and mind.

The envelope was never an end-point, not once in its creation was it intended to be a garment; it was not ever the aim of the design exercise. The envelope happened at a point of rationalisation (or frustration - depending on your viewpoint!).

The aim of the overall project, of which it was a part, was to design a fashionable and functional snowboarding jacket_which was designed later in response to findings from the envelope_the envelope was a turning point in thinking about how the snowboarding jacket could come together as a single pattern piece. So the envelope is a step in the making process and ideation (I don’t want to use the word conceptualisation – too much rhetoric – almost as much as ideation) during the design process! How cool is that! So the envelope is a point of flux in the design process that has been captured and stood still. The standing still is the making of the envelope! Cool, huh!, Anything could have happened at that point and something did. Why that is exciting is because it encourages the idea of design being an engaged process of design; a process that simultaneously uses the hands and the mind. It intervenes the idea of always looking beyond the design and planning phase to the end of the project. I like the idea of design being an inclusive, all pervading, full-body exercise, excluding neither form, function or visual beauty in its execution. I do not like the idea of design as only an ancillary, aesthetic, visually entertaining and superficial exercise.

I think the envelope achieves this first category - as does its snowboarding brother/sister The Square.

from Anthea van Kopplen,
Designer

Anthea's work features in How You Make It, which opened to the public today.

To download The Envelope pattern instructions, go to Craft Victoria's How You Make It website.

Last days

Cecilia Fogelberg, Mick Harvey, 2007

Tomorrow is the last day that you can check out the current exhibition at Craft Victoria, so pop down and see the fantastic works by Cecilia Fogelberg, Brenda Page and Caz Guiney.

Brenda Page, Other Words, 2007

Caz Guiney, S, C and Cino Pin, 2007

Gastronomical!

Melbourne is in the throws of gorging itself on delicious food and wine at the moment, as part of the annual Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. In the next couple of days, clog will feature some craft and design goodies that compliment a good meal, but until then, we just wanted to boast about our volunteer, Tim Smullen, again. Last week, we told you about the show he was in, Small Beautiful Objects, organised by i eat, i drink, i work as part of the Food and Wine Festival. Well Tim has been awarded a special commendation for his work! Yay Tim!

Now you'll have to make sure you head down to Self-preservation on Bourke St and have a sneak peak at those gastronomically inspired and beautifully crafted objects.

more news about our makers

Greer Honeywill, who exhibited at Craft Victoria last year, has been awarded the Montalto Sculpture Award's Mitchell Family Choice Award for her piece, Architecture of the Heart.

Fresh!2007 participant Karla Way, and upcoming exhibitor and COUNTER supplier Dylan Martorell both feature in the current Skin and Bones exhibition, curated by Pat O'Brien. The show is on at the artist-run-initiative, Bus, until Saturday and then relocates to Penthouse Mouse, the temporary retail space at 49 Stanley St, Collingwood.

And Tim Smullen, jeweller and a dear friend of Craft Victoria's (he's been volunteering with us since he was in high school) has work in the Small Beautiful Objects exhibition at Self Preservation, curated by I eat, I drink, I work, opening Friday Feb 22.

blogging the process

Tamara Marwood, Landscape (work in progress)

Tamara Marwood has been director of Allan's Walk for the last 10 years; is an associate producer for Next Wave festival, a writer and an artist. She is also going to be exhibiting in Gallery 3 in November this year, which is very exciting in itself.

And now, she's started blogging about her process for that show.

Of course, we love our artists to blog [what's blogging for if not a great tool to document process and enquiry] and encourage you to check it out too.

http://tjoyy.blogspot.com

My favourite cup: Rebecca and Kevin - the jokesters

For the last of our little 'series' on the staff and their favourite cups, our resident jokesters, Rebecca and Kevin N have brought their favourite cups from home.

Rebecca with her 'Kiss Me I'm Polish' mug

Kevin with his super K mug.

Now we're sure you'll all know exactly the type of people we are by what we've chosen as our cups.

Next week, for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, we'll be profiling some amazing objects relating to food and wine, so stay tuned.

W.E. McMillan Collection

Yesterday we posted about the gold and silversmithing exhibition, currently at RMIT's Project Space, and the floor talk held there.

Well, today we went to the floor talk, checked out the exhibition and we can categorically say that we really undersold it in our little post. It's a strong exhibition of a really vital collection for the craft and design sector. And, exciting for us here at CVHQ, the exhibition not only features work by Katherine Wheeler, but a whole bunch of ex-Fresh! winners and other Craft Victoria friends and luminaries.

We were quite proud to see works by 2007 Fresh! gals Natalia Milosz-Piekarska and Karla Way; 2004 Fresh! winner and upcoming exhibitor Jessica Morrison; Well-known Melbourne designer and upcoming exhibitor Anna Davern; Revered jeweller and gallery owner Mari Funaki, not to mention a great list of works by local jewellers, designers and craftpeople, all having graduated from RMIT's Gold and Silversmithing course over the years.

Robert Baines, Studio Co-ordinator from RMIT, spoke fondly of the collection and highlighted the amazing depth of talented 'smiths that Victoria produces.

As a resource for craft and design students and practitioners, as well as those interested in the discipline, the exhibition of the collection is a fantastic measure of the history of Victorian gold and silver work and well worth a visit.

For more information about the exhibition and the floor talks, head to the Project Space website.

Fresh! artist talks

Katherine Wheeler's White Series, 2007 as seen in Fresh!

Finalist from Craft Victoria's Fresh! Award in 2007, Katherine Wheeler is currently exhibiting in the W.E. McMillan Collection exhibition at the RMIT Project Space/Spare Room, which is great news.





Even more exciting news is the fact there's a fantastic Floor Talk tomorrow (Thursday) 14th February at the RMIT gallery between 12 and 1pm, which discusses the works and the history of Gold and Silversmithing from 1962-2007.

My Favourite Cup: Lucy and Esther

All this week, we've been profiling the favoured cups from our team here at CVHQ.

After witnessing the Parliamentary apology to the stolen generations at Federation Square this morning, we all exchanged stories over a nice cup of tea: Lucy and Esther from their favourites:

Esther's Jonathan Baskett nestles nicely in her hand

And Lucy's beaker by Hermie Cornelisse keeps her hands warm.

My Favourite Cup: Carmel and Stephanie

After they had finished helping Kris Coad install her window works today, we asked our fabulous retail assistants Carmel and Stephanie to show off their favourite cup selections.

Carmel with her Hermie Cornelisse beaker;

Stephanie with her gorgeous LIGHT mug by (D of A) which has been hanging around CVHQ since before time.

My Favourite Cup

With Kris Coad's beautiful ceramic works in the enCOUNTER window space this week, obviously the conversation turned to our favourite cups from which to drink tea, coffee, whatever.

Over the next week, clog will feature some of Craft Victoria's staff with their little treasures.

Nella and her Biggi Spiro cup.

Lauren and her Johnsons cup and mismatching saucer.

Bye Kate!

Last Thursday night, the whole crew from Craft Victoria got together at Kuni's to say goodbye and eat lots of yummy japanese food with our fabulous Kurator Kate.








Kate Rhodes (that's her on the right), having been at Craft Victoria for two years is moving on to work as the Curator for the National Design Centre and we all wish her the best of luck.

We do hope that she pops in to say hello every now and again.

Super Group: Fogelberg, Page and Guiney

Even though it was a little while ago now, we just have to boast about the huge exhibition opening we had here at CVHQ last Wednesday for Cecilia Fogelberg, Brenda Page, Caz Guiney and enCOUNTER in the window [Rochus Urban Hinkel and the RMIT Interior Design Department].


After the intensity of installation week, it was a great turn out, with a whole bunch of the usual Craft Victoria family, and some of Melbourne's great rock'n'roll crowd.

X guitarist Steve Lucas and an anonymous crafter

Jenny Port from Jenny Port Gallery, Richmond

Starting with some well-attended artist talks by all three artists, the exhibition was opened by Catherine Rinaudo and Jenny Port from Jenny Port Gallery, capped off with a long and winding 3-minute plus guitar solo by ex- Beasts of Bourbon guitarist and solo artist, Spencer P Jones.

Spencer P Jones on guitar

It was so packed that Steph and Carmel, our trusty retail assistants had to act as bouncers for a while there.

Exhibiting artist Cecilia and friend "tash up"

What a fan-tash-tic way to kick off a new year [groan]. We all had a great night and are really excited about the upcoming exhibition program for the year.