DATE: Saturday 30 August - 3PM
VENUE: National Library of Australia - Theatrette
Parkes Place, Canberra, ACT
To celebrate his latest book What a Ripper! 60 everyday objects that shaped Australia, Tim Ross is being joined on stage by one of the designers featured in the book, Mary Featherston.
After a short presentation on his favourite iconic designs in the book, Mary (an icon herself) will join him on the stage to talk about her life in design, her creative partnership with her late husband Grant and her passionate design work in the education space.
This is a rare opportunity to hear from one of our most celebrated designers.
General Admission and Concession tickets available. 60 minutes duration. Unallocated seating.
Buy six or more tickets and save 15% (discount added automatically at checkout)
What a Ripper! and Tim Ross's book titles will be available for purchase and signing at the event.
About Mary Featherston.
Mary Featherston AM (nee Currey) was born in Surrey, England and arrived in Australia in 1953. She trained in Interior Design at RMIT. In 1965 she formed a life and professional partnership with Grant Featherston – a partnership that lasted until his death in 1995. Over a period of thirty years the partnership completed projects across many fields of design including furniture, exhibitions and graphics. Whilst sharing a strongly held approach to design each partner had a particular focus: furniture projects were principally designed by Grant and Mary led the design for learning projects. Major projects included the fit-out of the National Gallery of Victoria (1966-68), furniture ranges for Aristoc Industries, Uniroyal/Bridgestone and the Children’s Museum of Victoria (1984–92).
Since Grant’s death, Mary has specialised in the development and design of Play/Learning Environments in children’s centres, primary and secondary schools. The focus of her theory and practice is the relationship between young people, contemporary learning theory and design of supportive physical environments. For the past twenty years she has studied the educational project of Reggio Emilia, North Italy and curated their travelling exhibition in southeast Asia.
Over the past twelve years Mary has collaborated with leading Australian educators, architects, school communities and policy makers to develop highly participatory design processes and innovative interior design. Her work is internationally recognised and has won several awards. Major projects include: a modular furniture system for Bialik College Early Learning Centre, Wooranna Park Primary School, Geelong Grammar School (Toorak Campus), Dandenong High School, Princes Hill Primary School and Camberwell High School. Mary is a member of several ARC funded research teams at Melbourne and Swinburne Universities.
In 1996 Grant and Mary were inaugural inductees into the Design Institute of Australia Hall of Fame. Mary Featherston is a Fellow of the Design Institute of Australia, a Board Ambassador with the Robin Boyd Foundation, a Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne and Adjunct Professor of RMIT University.
In 2020 Mary was made a Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia for her significant service to the arts, especially industrial and interior design.
There are certain memories that will be familiar to anyone who grew up in Australia between the 1960s and the 1990s. Things like traipsing to the caravan-park toilet with a Dolphin torch at night, indulging in crème de menthe from a Regis glass, lobbing a banana peel at a Nylex flip-top bin and sporting a new Stackhat while riding your BMX bike.
Celebrating 60 objects that were designed and made in Australia, Tim Ross of @modernister transports us back in time and pays tribute to objects that you might be lucky enough to still find in your home or backyard shed. There are colourful photos, previously untold stories and fascinating narratives, making this book equal parts retro-design celebration, pop-culture treasure trove and nostalgic adventure.
What a Ripper! also reveals the high standard of design in this country, which is often overlooked. Now our unique design ingenuity is getting the attention it deserves, helping us to rediscover just how important and meaningful these iconic everyday objects really are.