Master of make-do
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday November 19, 2009
This bright spark knows how to work with what he's got, writes Andrea Jones. Lighting designer Rohan Nicol has won this year's prestigious Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award for his large, dimmable pendant light called Peppered Sunlight.The award was to be announced last night by Dutch design star Maarten Baas at a dinner in Sydney.For Nicol, 39, who is an internationally acclaimed gold and silversmith (his work is on permanent display at the Powerhouse Museum), the design "taps into the make-do mentality in Australian culture".Indeed, the light was produced from a factory that largely manufactures lighting for signage and gaming lounges."It's a strong piece because it marries design with the constraints of local manufacture," one of this year's judges, Heidi Dokulil, says.Nicol, who lives in Wagga Wagga, scoured Australia to find a manufacturer willing to invest time and money in working with him before finding a signage lighting company, Precision Signs, under his nose in Wagga Wagga. He persuaded them that working with him would extend their expertise and diversify their business."Rohan's a fantastic role model for other designers and also for manufacturers to see the kinds of opportunities that can come from working with local young designers," Dokulil says.Indeed, one of the obstacles for many aspiring Australian designers is that their designs are often not able to be manufactured with technology available here. Not so Nicol, who is doing a PhD on making a profitable local design career.In fact, his now-award-winning light forms part of his doctoral thesis.Peppered Sunlight is a wide (800-centimetre) circular design with a dimmable globe. The design on the plastic face diffuses the light."Ideally I want to try to put it in restaurants, bars and hotels," Nicol says .The light is already in production and plans are under way to have it sold through a national retailer early next year.Nicol's prize includes the opportunity to show his work at next year's Milan furniture fair and a cash prize of $30,000, which he plans to invest in his partnership with his lighting manufacturer.He also sees it as paying off a debt of gratitude. "Where I come from there is a social capital that exists and people want to help each other out and that has been really critical in getting this up and running," he says."The manufacturer has paid for all the tooling [to manufacture my lights]. This prize provides me with money that I can bring back to the relationship with the manufacturer. Without his support I wouldn't have achieved it."Together with a grant from The Australia Council, Nicol has begun working on three new products.For sales inquiries, contact lucelux.com.Rising starsThese standout designs were among the runners-up in this year's Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Awards.Solids by Daniel.Emma (Daniel To and Emma Aiston)A colourful, resin collection of desktop items, including a light, stationery organiser, torch, thermometer, rubber-band ball, pencil box, wall hook and clock."The inspiration came from our desire to design ordinary objects that make you want to touch them and give you enjoyment when you use/look at them," they say. Their designs are not yet in production.PegLeg by Tomek ArcherA range of tables with legs that attach without any screws or glues, so it can be flat-packed and assembled with little fuss."I just wanted the tables to be a step forward in terms of the way we think about making furniture," Archer says. "I also wanted the tables to 'flat pack' and assemble really easily without the need for instructions and tools."The PegLeg range is available in Sydney through Anibou, 726 Bourke Street, Redfern. See tomahawkstudios.com; anibou.com.au.Twist by Adam CornishThese colourful stools made of stainless steel have a cushioning spring effect when you sit down, courtesy of their clever design.Says Cornish: "They were made to resemble simple wire stools which have been picked up and twisted by imaginary giant hands. A force that would completely splinter and destroy a piece of wood will gently ripple and bend a piece of stainless steel in the most beautiful manner. I try to create objects using this simple observation." The stools are not yet in production.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald