Widely regarded as one of Australia’s most important sculptors of the twentieth century, Clement Meadmore is also acknowledged as a significant and pioneering figure within the history of Australian modernist design.
Featuring an extensive group of individual pieces from the 1950s and early 1960s, this exhibition highlights Meadmore’s highly distinctive approach to industrial design and his remarkable ability to manipulate the most basic, readily available materials—steel rod, cotton cord, glass, sheet metal, canvas and thin plywood—into functional, innovative and durable objects.
At a time when artists, architects and designers were determined to forge a new identity in post-war Australia, Meadmore’s elegant and inventive designs were highly influential, becoming an integral part of the contemporary homes designed by leading architects such as Robin Boyd, Neil Clerehan and Peter McIntyre.
Meticulously assembled by the artists Peter Atkins and Dana Harris over the past twenty-five years, this exemplary collection of Meadmore’s iconic chairs, tables and lighting is the most comprehensive collection of his industrial design in public or private hands. Presented for the first time in its entirety, the Harris/Atkins Collection provides a unique opportunity to survey the breadth and depth of Meadmore’s singular design language.
The Industrial Design of Clement Meadmore: The Harris/Atkins Collection is presented in conversation with SUPERsystems, a joint exhibition of new work by Melbourne-based artists Peter Atkins and Dana Harris who, like Meadmore, are inspired by early Bauhaus and De Stijl principles. Also on display is Systems and Structures featuring a selection of works from the TarraWarra Museum of Art collection by Australian artists who, like Atkins and Harris, employ patterns, geometry, modules and repetition in their creative practices.
For more information, visit twma.com.au
