F!NK alternative jug project
27 August - 17 October 2020 Alex Asch | Chick Butcher | Bengt Cannon | Scott Chaseling | Cobi Cockburn | Cesar Cueva | Matthew Curtis | Xanthe Gay | Marie Hagerty | Jess Higgins | Alison Jackson | Harriet Schwarzrock | Louise Scrivener | Tom Skeehan | Brian Tunks F!NK alternative jug project is a collaborative exhibition which pays homage to the late Robert Foster, designer and founder of F!NK + Co, who was tragically killed in a car accident in 2016 and is deeply missed. F!NK has a long history of collaborating, mentoring and supporting fellow artists, designers and craftspeople. In 1993, F!NK was established by Foster in Queanbeyan, NSW, Australia, with the aim of creating a design and manufacturing business that would support and generate opportunities for Australian designer-makers. Joined by Gretel Harrison in 1995, together they built F!NK into the business it is today – a much loved and respected Australian design company with an international reputation for producing world-class tableware, hollowware, jewellery and lighting. F!NK invited 15 creatives with a direct connection to Robert and/or F!NK over the past 27 years to reimagine the iconic F!NK jug with the intent to be included in the F!NK collaborative jug project auction earlier in the year. Two blank F!NK jugs were provided to each artist with which to begin. The first set of finished bespoke artworks created as a result of this collaboration were sold in the online auction to raise funds for charity. Due to the success of the live auction, Craft ACT invited F!NK to showcase the alternative designs in the F!NK alternative jug project exhibition to allow people to view this wonderful collaboration in person.
27 August - 17 October 2020
Alex Asch | Chick Butcher | Bengt Cannon | Scott Chaseling | Cobi Cockburn | Cesar Cueva | Matthew Curtis | Xanthe Gay | Marie Hagerty | Jess Higgins | Alison Jackson | Harriet Schwarzrock | Louise Scrivener | Tom Skeehan | Brian Tunks
F!NK alternative jug project is a collaborative exhibition which pays homage to the late Robert Foster, designer and founder of F!NK + Co, who was tragically killed in a car accident in 2016 and is deeply missed. F!NK has a long history of collaborating, mentoring and supporting fellow artists, designers and craftspeople. In 1993, F!NK was established by Foster in Queanbeyan, NSW, Australia, with the aim of creating a design and manufacturing business that would support and generate opportunities for Australian designer-makers. Joined by Gretel Harrison in 1995, together they built F!NK into the business it is today – a much loved and respected Australian design company with an international reputation for producing world-class tableware, hollowware, jewellery and lighting.
F!NK invited 15 creatives with a direct connection to Robert and/or F!NK over the past 27 years to reimagine the iconic F!NK jug with the intent to be included in the F!NK collaborative jug project auction earlier in the year. Two blank F!NK jugs were provided to each artist with which to begin. The first set of finished bespoke artworks created as a result of this collaboration were sold in the online auction to raise funds for charity. Due to the success of the live auction, Craft ACT invited F!NK to showcase the alternative designs in the F!NK alternative jug project exhibition to allow people to view this wonderful collaboration in person.
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F!<strong>NK</strong> ALTERNATIVE<br />
JUG PROJECT<br />
Craft ACT Craft + Design Centre
Craft ACT: Craft + Design Centre is supported by the ACT<br />
Government, the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy – an initiative<br />
of the Australian State and Territory Governments, and the<br />
Australia Council for the Arts – the Australian Government’s arts<br />
funding and advisory body.<br />
CRAFT ACT CRAFT + DESIGN CENTRE<br />
Tues–Fri 10am–5pm<br />
Saturdays 12–4pm<br />
Level 1, North Building, 180 London Circuit,<br />
Canberra ACT Australia<br />
+61 2 6262 9333<br />
www.craftact.org.au<br />
Cover: Louise Scrivener, Tessaline, 2020, scotch brite finish,<br />
polished sandblasted and anodised aluminium with powder<br />
coated handle. Photo: DMC Photography
F!<strong>NK</strong> ALTERNATIVE<br />
JUG PROJECT<br />
ALEX ASCH | CHICK BUTCHER | BENGT CANNON | SCOTT CHASELING<br />
COBI COCKBURN | CESAR CUEVA | MATTHEW CURTIS | XANTHE GAY<br />
MARIE HAGERTY | JESS HIGGINS | ALISON JACKSON | HARRIET SCHWARZROCK<br />
LOUISE SCRIVENER | TOM SKEEHAN | BRIAN TU<strong>NK</strong>S<br />
Craft ACT Craft + Design Centre<br />
27 AUGUST - 17 OCTOBER 2020<br />
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F!<strong>NK</strong> <strong>alternative</strong> <strong>jug</strong> <strong>project</strong><br />
Exhibition statement<br />
F!<strong>NK</strong> <strong>alternative</strong> <strong>jug</strong> <strong>project</strong> is a<br />
collaborative exhibition which pays<br />
homage to the late Robert Foster,<br />
designer and founder of F!<strong>NK</strong> + Co, who<br />
was tragically killed in a car accident in<br />
2016 and is deeply missed. F!<strong>NK</strong> has a<br />
long history of collaborating, mentoring<br />
and supporting fellow artists, designers<br />
and craftspeople. In 1993, F!<strong>NK</strong> was<br />
established by Foster in Queanbeyan,<br />
NSW, Australia, with the aim of creating a<br />
design and manufacturing business that<br />
would support and generate opportunities<br />
for Australian designer-makers. Joined by<br />
Gretel Harrison in 1995, together they built<br />
F!<strong>NK</strong> into the business it is today – a much<br />
loved and respected Australian design<br />
company with an international reputation<br />
for producing world-class tableware,<br />
hollowware, jewellery and lighting.<br />
bespoke artworks created as a result of<br />
this collaboration were sold in the online<br />
auction to raise funds for charity. Due to<br />
the success of the live auction, Craft ACT<br />
invited F!<strong>NK</strong> to showcase the <strong>alternative</strong><br />
designs in the F!<strong>NK</strong> <strong>alternative</strong> <strong>jug</strong> <strong>project</strong><br />
exhibition to allow people to view this<br />
wonderful collaboration in person.<br />
Artists include Alex Asch (ACT), Chick<br />
Butcher (NSW), Bengt Cannon (ACT), Cobi<br />
Cockburn (NSW), Cesar Cueva (NSW),<br />
Matthew Curtis (NSW), Scott Chaseling<br />
(NSW), Xanthe Gay (NSW), Marie Hagerty<br />
(ACT), Jess Higgins (ACT), Alison Jackson<br />
(NSW), Harriet Schwarzrock (NSW),<br />
Louise Scrivener (ACT), Tom Skeehan<br />
(ACT) and Brian Tunks (ACT).<br />
F!<strong>NK</strong> invited 15 creatives with a direct<br />
connection to Robert and/or F!<strong>NK</strong> over<br />
the past 27 years to reimagine the iconic<br />
F!<strong>NK</strong> <strong>jug</strong> with the intent to be included<br />
in the F!<strong>NK</strong> collaborative <strong>jug</strong> <strong>project</strong><br />
auction earlier in the year. Two blank F!<strong>NK</strong><br />
<strong>jug</strong>s were provided to each artist with<br />
which to begin. The first set of finished<br />
Page 4-5: F!<strong>NK</strong> <strong>alternative</strong> <strong>jug</strong> <strong>project</strong> exhibition at Craft<br />
ACT. Photo: 5 Foot Photography<br />
Page 6-7: Gretel Harrison with her daughters at<br />
the opening event of the exhibition. Photo: 5 Foot<br />
Photography<br />
Opposite: F!<strong>NK</strong> <strong>alternative</strong> <strong>jug</strong> <strong>project</strong> exhibition at Craft<br />
ACT. Photo: 5 Foot Photography<br />
Page 13: F!<strong>NK</strong> <strong>alternative</strong> <strong>jug</strong> <strong>project</strong> exhibition at Craft<br />
ACT. Photo: 5 Foot Photography<br />
9
Exhibition essay<br />
Catalogue essay: Virginia Rigney<br />
A prelude<br />
My guess is that the F!<strong>NK</strong> Water <strong>jug</strong> is<br />
the kind of object that you will still recall<br />
the moment that you first saw it.<br />
1998, a hastily booked trip from Perth<br />
to Queensland with a newish baby and<br />
toddler. A recommendation from a travel<br />
agent to stay at a yet to be fully opened<br />
resort offering cheap deals. All of this<br />
could have been terrible – but upon<br />
arriving – to sit in this restaurant by the<br />
water – and to be utterly struck by a set<br />
of brilliantly turquoise-blue hued water<br />
<strong>jug</strong>s on every table. An essential, but<br />
often humble item of hollow ware, had,<br />
with its contemporary sensuous shape,<br />
easy but generous pour and electric<br />
colour, immediately captured and<br />
conveyed a dazzling welcome.<br />
Then to be even more confounded upon<br />
learning that they were designed and<br />
made in Australia.<br />
design had produced some spirited<br />
and clever consumer products that<br />
particularly responded to our lifestyle<br />
, but there was little evidence of<br />
products that straddled that difficult<br />
point between the finesse of the hand<br />
crafted and the multiplicity required for<br />
a sustainable business. Such design<br />
was generally seen as something that<br />
came from elsewhere – places with<br />
bigger populations and deep traditions<br />
of connecting artisanal skills with<br />
tooled manufacturing such as Italy,<br />
Germany or Japan. So it seemed even<br />
more unlikely that it had come from<br />
the national capital – our ‘instant city’<br />
with apparently no such manufacturing<br />
tradition to speak of. Look more closely<br />
and it made sense. An inspiring art<br />
school with global connections and<br />
an ambitious and outward looking<br />
population drawn from all over the<br />
nation and the world who lived daily<br />
within the legacy of a design vision.<br />
During the 1960s through to the late<br />
1980s, Australian manufacturing and<br />
10
F!<strong>NK</strong> Alternative Jug Project<br />
Water is life and water that we share<br />
together at a table is that most basic<br />
of offerings to any guest. This <strong>project</strong><br />
has equally been an offering back from<br />
the 15 designers, makers and artists<br />
to celebrate and acknowledge Robert<br />
Foster’s impacts on their practice and<br />
his wider legacies.<br />
At this marker point of 27 years since<br />
the <strong>jug</strong>’s design, the Alternative Jug<br />
Project gives visible form to how<br />
Foster’s generous spirit and enquiring<br />
determination has inspired and informed<br />
the work of others. Of course this<br />
moment should never have had to<br />
come so soon, but with space from the<br />
numbness of sudden and tragic loss and<br />
the natural tendency towards retreat,<br />
through Gretel Harrison’s leadership, has<br />
come a purposeful response that would<br />
certainly have made Foster smile.<br />
Formal recognition has already come.<br />
Foster was posthumously inducted<br />
into the Design Australia Hall of Fame<br />
in 2019, the <strong>jug</strong> is held in prestigious<br />
museum collections and used in the<br />
restaurant of the Museum of Modern<br />
Art in New York. This <strong>project</strong> however<br />
reveals those things that are less easily<br />
defined but, which in many respects<br />
are more important – not only for the<br />
individuals involved and the on-going<br />
resilience of the company that Foster<br />
founded, but also what they say about<br />
the new levels of maturity in current<br />
Australian design.<br />
Utilising a diverse range of techniques,<br />
each contributor has collaborated with<br />
the team at the F!<strong>NK</strong> workshop to realise<br />
their ‘<strong>alternative</strong> <strong>jug</strong>’. Some are indeed<br />
quite different, and their unique qualities<br />
are such that there is no expectation<br />
that any would go into production. As<br />
Harrison has observed however – just<br />
the challenge of realising these works<br />
has been an important opportunity of<br />
research and development for the studio<br />
and those learnings may find their way<br />
into future objects.<br />
11
Very obviously different is the figuration<br />
of Alex Asch, the applied pattern of<br />
Marie Hagerty with her design echoing<br />
Constructivist ceramics in the collection<br />
of the NGA and the exuberant flair of<br />
Scott Chaseling. Louise Scrivener,<br />
Harriet Schwarzrock and Jess Higgins,<br />
respond to the organic form of the<br />
vessel and connect it to their thinking<br />
of and understanding of landscape.<br />
The expressive potential of materiality<br />
is conveyed in the <strong>jug</strong>s by Skeehan,<br />
Mathew Curtis, Chick Butcher, Cesar<br />
Cueva, Cobi Cockburn and Bengt Cannon<br />
and the sensitive subtlety of works by<br />
Alison Jackson, Brian Tunks and Xanthe<br />
Gay express their meditative responses<br />
to loss and sweet memory.<br />
Virginia Rigney is a curator, writer and<br />
creative producer and works at Canberra<br />
Museum and Gallery as Senior Curator<br />
Visual Arts.<br />
[1] See captured in ICONIC Australian Design curated by Ian<br />
Wong featuring over 100 products designed in Australia.<br />
Exhibited Robin Boyd Foundation 2020<br />
The F!<strong>NK</strong> Water Jug emerged just<br />
prior to the internet age, that most<br />
fundamental shift in recent global<br />
history. Perhaps we are living through<br />
a similar moment now. With their<br />
thoughtful natural intellect, these<br />
precisely crafted <strong>jug</strong>s intend to go on<br />
and be part of the conversation around<br />
many tables for generations to come.<br />
12
Alex Asch<br />
Artist statement<br />
For as long as I have made art I have<br />
used collage to work through ideas both<br />
stylistically and politically. It has much<br />
in common with the art of sampling in<br />
electronic music; cut out moments that<br />
may specifically speak to historical events<br />
or collective social moods. I am drawn<br />
to discarded and discounted picture<br />
books, art history, the life of JFK, the Epic<br />
of man, the history of the world lies in<br />
piles at tips, junk shops and thrift stores.<br />
I am particularly drawn to old atlases,<br />
reflecting on the hubris of colonies to draw<br />
typographical lines across diverse cultural<br />
landscapes. The exploration of these<br />
collected books is slow and meandering<br />
accompanied by similarly old records<br />
turning slowly under the stylist. I have tried<br />
to empty my mind when placing disparate<br />
images together drawing on what Jung<br />
called the Unconscious drawing, later<br />
exploring the finished work for meaning.<br />
My workshop is a haven for disconnection.<br />
Biography<br />
Alex Asch was born in Boston,<br />
Massachusetts, USA and was involved in<br />
University art programs in Los Angeles<br />
and New York before moving to Australia<br />
and studying art at the Australian National<br />
University in 1988. Asch has exhibited<br />
extensively in solo and group exhibitions<br />
throughout Australia and overseas.<br />
When making the collage The Blue Danube<br />
for the F!<strong>NK</strong> <strong>jug</strong> <strong>project</strong> I was thinking of<br />
musical themes influencing the pictorial<br />
frame, in this case Strauss’s Blue Danube,<br />
a favourite of my mother -in-laws. There is<br />
a duality in the image, a turning away from<br />
oneself, a longing for the horizon.<br />
Opposite: Alex Asch, Kind of Blue, 2020, Aluminium<br />
with vinyl and powder coated handle. Photo: DMC<br />
Photography.<br />
15
Chick Butcher<br />
Artist statement<br />
A collaboration between the departed<br />
and we present is for me, a fascinating<br />
concept. One I’m honoured to pursue.<br />
Ironically, it’s not a huge digression<br />
from the themes of my work of the last<br />
decade…however this exchange has a<br />
potency I’ve not previously experienced.<br />
The bar has been set high, very high.<br />
Considerations of time, place and<br />
culture are imperative, as was Robbie’s<br />
commitment to enrich each experience<br />
of his considered objects. My combining<br />
his iconic F!<strong>NK</strong> <strong>jug</strong> with iron oxide and a<br />
burnt recycled hardwood handle may be<br />
suggestive of deterioration, a reminder<br />
of our fragility, yet the clean lines and<br />
resolved proportions truly respect the<br />
legacy of this pioneer.<br />
Biography<br />
Chick Butcher is Kiama based artist<br />
who works with glass and mixed media.<br />
His works are a direct result of intimate<br />
conversations he has with himself.<br />
In 2006 Chick graduated from the<br />
Australian National University School of<br />
Art with Honors majoring in glass. Since<br />
then he has exhibited nationally and<br />
internationally; his work has been acquired<br />
in collections including Wagga Wagga Art<br />
Gallery, Glasmuseet Ebeltoft (Denmark)<br />
and National Gallery of Australia; and has<br />
won several prestigious awards including<br />
the Tom Malone Prize in 2009.<br />
He, like all respected artists, makers and<br />
designers, honoured a responsibility<br />
to leave behind innovative and wellconsidered<br />
objects, as these form the<br />
map that guides those who follow. In<br />
this case we can be assured that, once<br />
again, Robbie Foster both supplied and<br />
surpassed. Budgie Juggler - The bare<br />
essentials of an Australian Icon.<br />
Opposite: Chick Butcher, Budgie Juggler, 2020, anodised<br />
<strong>jug</strong> with specialized rust treatment applied by Axolotl.<br />
Photo: DMC Photography.<br />
17
Bengt Cannon<br />
Artist statement<br />
The tides of life can pull you in strange<br />
directions. If you fight these riptides, you<br />
will perish. If you flow with them and<br />
ride as far you can - you might discover<br />
something beautiful along the way and<br />
find a wave to catch back in against the<br />
sunset.<br />
This piece expresses an eclectic, organic,<br />
uncontrolled flow alongside a structured,<br />
deliberate design. Although I initially<br />
tried to control the direction of the outer<br />
pattern; it only started to really shine and<br />
take form once I loosened up. The handle<br />
was inspired by the treasure that might be<br />
discovered in the depths of the ocean’s<br />
turmoil if you pay attention while you ride<br />
the current through life.<br />
Biography<br />
Bengt Cannon is a seasoned metalsmith<br />
with a background in heavy metal<br />
fabrication. Recently, his interests have led<br />
to a passion for knife-making. His love of<br />
developing skills has led to experiments in<br />
forge welding and using different material<br />
combinations. Bengt joined Robert Foster<br />
at F!<strong>NK</strong> & Co in 2009, and a strong bond<br />
formed between them. Securing the role<br />
of production manager his fabrication<br />
skills were used in many ways, going onto<br />
collaborate with Rob to create products for<br />
the F!<strong>NK</strong> lighting range in 2013.<br />
Opposite: Bengt Cannon, Riptide Sun, 2020, muliticolour<br />
brushprint anodised <strong>jug</strong>, hand forged anodised aluminium<br />
handle. Photo: DMC Photography<br />
19
Scott Chaseling<br />
Artist statement<br />
The F!<strong>NK</strong> Jug is one of Australia’s most<br />
iconic design objects. I felt I could not<br />
change a perfect silhouette, though what I<br />
am hoping to do is make it dance. Utilising<br />
faceted edges and planes from grinding<br />
into the surface of the aluminium I am<br />
attempting to make the form shimmer.<br />
Not unlike faceted glass the surface picks<br />
up light and throws it around the room. My<br />
Alternate Jug for the F!<strong>NK</strong> collaboration is<br />
centred around fluid brush marks.Similar<br />
to ink washes or glazed brush strokes on<br />
ceramics I aimed for freedom in the mark<br />
making.<br />
Biography<br />
Scott Chaseling is a cross-medium<br />
sculptor, who for two decades has<br />
centered his practice around notions of<br />
mobility, transition and liminality – that<br />
idea of non-place. He has exhibited his<br />
work nationally and internationally in<br />
galleries including, Pergamon Museum,<br />
Berlin; Eisch Gallery, Frauenau (Germany);<br />
Musee Atelier du Verre, Sars-Poteries<br />
(France); European Museum of Modern<br />
Glass, Coburg (Germany), and more<br />
recently, The Glass Furnace, Istanbul<br />
(Turkey, 2016) and Southern Illinois<br />
University Gallery, Carbondale (USA,<br />
2016).<br />
Opposite: Scott Chaseling, Cloudy with the occasional<br />
pour, 2020, turquoise matt <strong>jug</strong> using a circular grinding<br />
tool. Photo: DMC Photography<br />
21
Cobi Cockburn<br />
Artist statement<br />
Sublime and fluid, memory can almost<br />
have a semi translucent energy. Inspired<br />
by previous <strong>project</strong>s, memories of an<br />
amazing maker, the strength and courage<br />
of his companion, and the appreciation<br />
of beautiful form. I create a work in awe<br />
and respect of true collaboration. 8<br />
Lines - Visionary. Warming. Admirable.<br />
Respectful. Creative. Loving. Laughter.<br />
Memories!<br />
Biography<br />
Cobi Cockburn is a Kiama based glass<br />
artist who is a graduate of both Sydney<br />
College of the Arts and the School of<br />
Art & Design, at the Australian National<br />
University. Within her practice, Cobi<br />
explores ideas of space and illusionistic<br />
depth through compositions of soft<br />
colour. Her works form part of both<br />
National and international Public<br />
collections and she has been included in<br />
many of Australia most prestigious Glass<br />
Awards. Cobi most recent exhibition was<br />
‘Murmuration’ at Sabbia in Nov 2019. and<br />
she is now working towards setting up<br />
the new glass studio / facility at Sydney<br />
University, Camperdown.<br />
Opposite: Cobi Cockburn, 8 White Lines, 2020, polished<br />
and anodised <strong>jug</strong> with fused glass handle. Photo: DMC<br />
Photography<br />
23
Cesar Cueva<br />
Artist statement<br />
For me, as a student and practitioner<br />
of object design, The F!<strong>NK</strong> Jug is a<br />
masterclass in virtuosity and the perfect<br />
embodiment of design through the act of<br />
making. Having undergone an internship<br />
at F!<strong>NK</strong> & Co as a student, I was blessed to<br />
spend time with Robbie and Gretel in their<br />
workshop where I experienced first hand,<br />
the enormous amount of effort that went<br />
into manufacturing each product bearing<br />
the F!<strong>NK</strong> hallmark. I was struck with awe<br />
and amazement, at how a beautifully<br />
crafted object required such punishing<br />
efforts by many, in order to bring it to life.<br />
It still amazes me to this day. The Parti<br />
<strong>jug</strong> is inspired by the vibrant and naturally<br />
occurring colour zoning of Blue, Green and<br />
Yellow hues typically found in Australian<br />
Parti Sapphires.<br />
Biography<br />
Cesar Cueva is a multi-disciplinary<br />
Designer and Maker. He initially trained in<br />
Architectural Technology and Industrial<br />
Design, before graduating from the<br />
Australian National University, (ANU<br />
School of Arts & Social Sciences) with<br />
a major in Gold and Silversmithing. In<br />
2005, he co-founded with his wife Nina<br />
Cueva, the pioneering Sydney studio and<br />
gallery, Metalab Creative that produced<br />
contemporary jewellery and object<br />
design for retail. Over the next decade,<br />
they curated some 80+ exhibitions where<br />
Metalab Creative was later rebranded<br />
Courtesy of the Artist. The couple<br />
continue to champion Australian art and<br />
design today, in their galleries situated in<br />
Sydney’s CBD.<br />
Opposite: Cesar Cueva, Parti Jug, 2020, hand polished,<br />
scotch brite finished, sandblasted and anodised. Photo:<br />
DMC Photography<br />
25
Matthew Curtis<br />
Artist statement<br />
This wonderful <strong>project</strong>, initiated by Gretel,<br />
celebrates not only the iconic F!<strong>NK</strong> <strong>jug</strong>,<br />
but the connections, vitality and richness<br />
of Robert Foster’s legacy. I have been<br />
contemplating a time I spent with Robbie;<br />
at ‘Collect’ at the Victoria and Albert<br />
Museum, London. It was impossible not<br />
to gravitate toward him, generous and<br />
enthusiastic, he seemed as comfortable<br />
in that environment as in the studio. In<br />
approaching this <strong>project</strong>, I am revisiting<br />
a series of blown glass work from that<br />
time. Where I was pursuing the vessel<br />
form. I blew overlaid veneers of coloured<br />
glass, which were cold worked in order<br />
to achieve an opaque surface. I marked a<br />
grid upon the surface. At the intersecting<br />
points, drilled through the opaque surface<br />
with diamond drill bits, to reveal the<br />
transparent interior of the vessel.<br />
Investigating and working with this<br />
iconic vessel and working with anodised<br />
aluminium reveals a different play of light<br />
upon the surface.Locating this grid onto a<br />
sacrificial form references the engineering<br />
and machining that lies behind the<br />
processes at F!<strong>NK</strong>. The polished and<br />
perforated wrap protects and celebrates<br />
this adaptable material. It feels like a good<br />
fit with the tight engineering aesthetic that<br />
you find at F!<strong>NK</strong>.<br />
Biography<br />
Matthew Curtis began his career through<br />
a studio traineeship at Denizen studio<br />
in Sydney in 1991. Working hands-on in<br />
the studio led to understanding many<br />
aspects of glass to explore form, line<br />
and light. Since then he has established<br />
his home studio with partner Harriet<br />
Schwarzrock in Queanbeyan NSW. He<br />
has exhibited internationally for over 25<br />
years, participated in prestigious art fairs<br />
such as Chicago’s ‘Sculptural Objects and<br />
Functional Art’ Fair, at Palm 3 and ‘Collect’<br />
at the V&A, as well as many successful<br />
solo exhibitions. His work is also widely<br />
collected, in Private collections such as<br />
Sir Elton John and Public collections<br />
Including the National Gallery of Australia<br />
and the Wagga Wagga, National Glass<br />
Collection.<br />
Opposite: Matthew Curtis, Perforate, 2020, scotch brite<br />
aluminium <strong>jug</strong> with hand engraved, polished aluminium<br />
shield and hand polished powder coated handle. Photo:<br />
DMC Photography<br />
27
Xanthe Gay<br />
Artist statement<br />
Having proudly represented F!<strong>NK</strong> Design<br />
through my gallery for 16 years, I find the<br />
prospect of taking my hammers and tools<br />
to this iconic object extremely daunting!<br />
For this collaboration I want to celebrate<br />
the fabulous functionality of the F!<strong>NK</strong><br />
<strong>jug</strong>. It is famous for its smooth fluid pour,<br />
its ease of handling, the chill factor and<br />
the delightful way the moisture beads on<br />
the surface, inviting you to quench your<br />
thirst. To me the F!<strong>NK</strong> <strong>jug</strong> will always be<br />
synonymous with my memories of dear<br />
Robbie, good times, good food, good<br />
company, laughter and of course, great<br />
music and dancing.<br />
Biography<br />
Xanthe Gay is a metalsmith based in<br />
Bungendore, NSW and has been making<br />
jewellery and small objects for over 30<br />
years. Whilst initially self-taught, she<br />
later went on to study Jewellery and<br />
Object Design at Sydney College of the<br />
Arts as well as Gold and Silver Smithing<br />
at Canberra School of Art, ANU. Today<br />
she works from her Bungendore NSW<br />
workshop and gallery, ‘X Gallery’, that<br />
Robert Foster generously helped her<br />
design and fit out in 2004.<br />
Opposite: Xanthe Gay, Whirlpool, 2020, hand hammered,<br />
domed, hand polished and anodised. Photo: DMC<br />
Photography<br />
29
Marie Hagerty<br />
Artist statement<br />
Inspiration for the collaborative <strong>jug</strong><br />
<strong>project</strong> comes from the wonderful 1920’s<br />
porcelain tea services with designs by<br />
constructivist artists and in this case the<br />
ceramic work of Jun Kaneko which is held<br />
in the NGA collection.<br />
Biography<br />
Marie Hagerty is a Sydney born artist<br />
who shifted to Canberra about 30 years<br />
ago and has been working primarily as<br />
a painter. Her work combines layers of<br />
influences, from Russian Constructivism<br />
to the sources of mid-Century design.<br />
Surface effects and planes appear to shift,<br />
mutate and evolve. Marie’s work is held<br />
in public collections including: National<br />
Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of<br />
Victoria, Queensland Art Gallery, Artbank,<br />
ACT Legislative Assembly, Canberra<br />
Museum and Gallery, Bendigo Art Gallery,<br />
Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Australian<br />
National University; and private collections<br />
in Australia and the USA.<br />
Opposite: Marie Hagerty, Hydria, 2020, matt silver with<br />
black anodised aluminium with powder coated handle.<br />
Photo: DMC Photography.<br />
31
Jess Higgins<br />
Artist statement<br />
Since working at F!<strong>NK</strong> & Co as Assembly<br />
Manager, I have been fortunate enough to<br />
learn a range of new skills working with<br />
aluminum and the anodizing process. I<br />
have chosen to create a series of organic<br />
marks on the surface of the <strong>jug</strong> using a<br />
dremel; paying homage to the natural<br />
world the F!<strong>NK</strong> <strong>jug</strong> is inspired by. ‘Navigate’<br />
was created by drawing directly onto an<br />
anodized matt charcoal <strong>jug</strong> a series of<br />
organic contour lines using a Dremel.<br />
While making this <strong>jug</strong> I had in mind the<br />
desert landscape paying homage to the<br />
natural world the F!<strong>NK</strong> <strong>jug</strong> is inspired by.<br />
The <strong>jug</strong> was then re-anodized making the<br />
lines I had drawn a range of warm gold<br />
and orange.<br />
Biography<br />
Jess Higgins is an emerging artist based<br />
in the Canberra region, her practice<br />
primarily encompasses print media and<br />
drawing techniques. She graduated from<br />
the ANU School of Art and Design with<br />
Honours in 2015 and has consistently<br />
exhibited in regional and metropolitan<br />
Australia, most recently working with<br />
Ginger Gorman in an arts-documentary<br />
collaboration ‘On Thin Ice’ at the<br />
Tuggeranong Arts Centre.<br />
Opposite: Jess Higgins, Navigate, 2020, hand engraved<br />
anodised aluminium (charcoal/gold/orange) with powder<br />
coated handle. Photo: DMC Photography<br />
33
Alison Jackson<br />
Artist statement<br />
Spring Rhythm takes inspiration from<br />
the repetitive hammering process<br />
used in traditional silversmithing. This<br />
elongated hammer mark, usually unseen<br />
in finished vessels, is instead celebrated<br />
and manipulated to create a flowing and<br />
dynamic pattern across the surface of<br />
the iconic F!<strong>NK</strong> Jug. As we look to a new<br />
season, Spring, in an unsettling year,<br />
perhaps there is the beginning of, or the<br />
aspiration of, a new rhythm as we adjust<br />
and re-adjust ourselves to what this year<br />
brings.<br />
Biography<br />
Alison Jackson is a designer, maker<br />
and contemporary metalsmith living<br />
and working in Braidwood, Australia.<br />
Craftsmanship and the way pieces are<br />
made has always been an influence to<br />
Alison. From the way two surfaces join<br />
together, a junction, or the way an edge<br />
has been finished, it’s all in the details<br />
of an object. It is the perfection of being<br />
imperfect and the distinctive nature<br />
of structures and objects that inspires<br />
her. Alison’s work is held in both public<br />
and private collections, including an<br />
acquisition by the Canberra Museum<br />
and Gallery. A recipient of numerous<br />
notable awards and grants such as the<br />
Australia Council for the Arts and artsACT<br />
<strong>project</strong> grants, Alison’s work has been<br />
exhibited widely within Australia and also<br />
internationally.<br />
Opposite: Alison Jackson, Spring Rhythm, 2020, hand<br />
hammered anodised aluminium with powder coated<br />
handle. Photo: DMC Photography.<br />
35
Harriet Schwarzrock<br />
Artist statement<br />
This generous collaborative F!<strong>NK</strong> Jug<br />
Project, has provided me with a focused<br />
experience of making and designing,<br />
during these contracting and uncertain<br />
times, (thank you Gretel!). When we moved<br />
our home and studio to Queanbeyan in<br />
2003, F!<strong>NK</strong> was a beacon in the cultural<br />
landscape. Robbie’s incredible approach<br />
to material and attention to detail has<br />
reverberated through both art and design.<br />
His encouragement and also his interest<br />
in organic and asymmetrical forms has<br />
resonated with me, & His 2011 exhibition<br />
‘Strange Planet’, 10 recent lighting<br />
installations, (Gallery of Australian Design,<br />
ACT) is imprinted within me.<br />
Biography<br />
Harriet Schwarzrock is a glass artist<br />
based in Queanbyan, NSW. In 1999, Harriet<br />
graduated from the Sydney College of the<br />
Arts with Honours in Visual Arts, majoring<br />
in Glass. Prior to graduating, Schwarzrock<br />
travelled through North America visiting<br />
renowned workshops and studios. On her<br />
return to Australia, Schwarzrock began<br />
assisting at Denizen Studio, Sydney,<br />
working with many of Australia’s most<br />
dedicated artists working with glass.<br />
Developing her skill and technique whilst<br />
finding inspiration and influence for her<br />
own work.<br />
With my work I am continually drawn to<br />
expressions of flow and interconnectivity.<br />
I return to themes of circulation and<br />
the interplay between biology and<br />
its environment. Where circulation<br />
and biology become a conduit for<br />
interconnectivity. This vessel <strong>project</strong><br />
expresses a meandering capillary<br />
branching line. My intention was to<br />
respond to the curvature of this iconic<br />
vessel, revealing a branching rivulet like<br />
structure, akin to veins or rivers. Branching<br />
and meandering these lines expose the<br />
material beneath the perfect satin skin.<br />
Opposite: Harriet Schwarzrock, Arteriole, 2020, hand<br />
engraved and scotch brite aluminium (red and charcoal)<br />
with powder coated handle. Photo DMC Photography<br />
37
Louise Scrivener<br />
Artist statement<br />
My design thinking stems from something<br />
Robert Foster said to me a long time ago,<br />
and about how he was intrigued by the<br />
juxtaposition of creating objects with fluid,<br />
organic lines and form from hardened,<br />
inorganic materials like aluminium and<br />
stainless steel. What I’m trying to do<br />
is expand on that notion by creating<br />
something beautiful and unexpected from<br />
the surface of the hard, metallic substrate.<br />
My intention is to add another visual<br />
dimension to the <strong>jug</strong> by incorporating its<br />
fluid organic lines – especially the profile<br />
of the <strong>jug</strong> lip — into a pattern that when<br />
sandblasted will reveal a faceted, almost<br />
bejeweled finish.<br />
Biography<br />
Louise was the very first graphic design<br />
graduate from the University of Canberra<br />
and holds a Bachelor of Graphic Design.<br />
Her first full-time employment followed at<br />
the Communication Research Institute of<br />
Australia (CRIA), where as an Information<br />
Design Trainee, she undertook basic<br />
graphic design duties as well as training<br />
in the foundation of Information Design.<br />
These principles have stood her in good<br />
stead throughout her career and she<br />
continues to apply these principles and<br />
methodologies today. Today she works<br />
as a Senior Graphic Designer at one of<br />
Australia’s major cultural institutions after<br />
an established career in the private sector.<br />
A long and very close association with<br />
F!<strong>NK</strong> + Co. since the late 1990s has<br />
seen the development of all of their<br />
marketing materials to date, including logo<br />
and branding development, corporate<br />
brochures, website, retail products,<br />
packaging and display materials.<br />
She is honoured to be part of this <strong>project</strong>.<br />
Opposite: Louise Scrivener, Tessaline, 2020, scotch brite<br />
finish, polished sandblasted and anodised aluminium<br />
with powder coated handle. Photo: DMC Photography<br />
39
Tom Skeehan<br />
Artist statement<br />
This <strong>project</strong> celebrates material research<br />
and the process of anodising. Highlighting<br />
the fluid process of anodising and the<br />
legacy of experimentation created by<br />
Robert Foster.<br />
The unique process of anodising informed<br />
our approach to the collaborative <strong>jug</strong><br />
<strong>project</strong>. Anodising a F!<strong>NK</strong> Jug is done<br />
by immersing the vessel into a coloured<br />
acid electrolyte bath and passing an<br />
electric current through the Jug. The<br />
BLUSH Jug celebrates this process - after<br />
experimenting at the F!<strong>NK</strong> workshop<br />
they developed a technique to control the<br />
speed and depth the <strong>jug</strong> enters the bath,<br />
resulting in a unique gradient. This unique<br />
tonal gradient allows the raw material<br />
to be seen, highlighting the forming<br />
processes used to shape the aluminum -<br />
gradually introducing the anodising finish.<br />
Biography<br />
Tom Skeehan is an award-winning<br />
Canberra based industrial designer who<br />
specialises in commercial furniture and<br />
objects for the home. In 2012, Tom<br />
graduated from University of Canberra<br />
with a Bachelor of Industrial Design<br />
and towards the end of his studies Tom<br />
established SKEEHAN studio. A noted<br />
young designer Tom Skeehan exhibits at<br />
design fairs across Australia, New Your,<br />
Singapore and Milan.<br />
Opposite: Tom Skeehan, Blush, 2020, satin finish<br />
gradational anodised aluminium with polished handle.<br />
Photo: DMC Photography<br />
41
Brian Tunks<br />
Artist statement<br />
The concept for our ‘Popular George’<br />
<strong>jug</strong> came from a conversation I had with<br />
Gretel earlier this year. We were discussing<br />
how I’d picked a motif to use on our bison<br />
stoneware collection for the Centenary<br />
of Canberra in 2013. We translated that<br />
theme... the poplars by Lake George...<br />
to a profile repeated on the surface of<br />
the F!<strong>NK</strong> <strong>jug</strong> and explored this further by<br />
carving in to the metal in a similar manner<br />
to our BRIAN TU<strong>NK</strong>S blown and cut glass.<br />
Poplars were initially chosen by Brian<br />
as a reflection on country life, how they<br />
greeted you down home-paddock roads<br />
on many farms, and how you knew you<br />
were nearly home when you saw them by<br />
Lake George.<br />
Biography<br />
Brian Tunks is the Creative Director<br />
and founder of Bisonhome which was<br />
established in 1997. Brian attended school<br />
in Scandinavia and subsequently trained<br />
in ancient history and archaeology at the<br />
Australian National University. Combined<br />
with a love of Asian ceramics this fusion<br />
of traditions resulted in the pared-back<br />
aesthetic with simple lines and pure<br />
colours that characterizes Bison design<br />
classics.<br />
Bison, along with F!<strong>NK</strong>, have a shared<br />
history going back over 20 years.<br />
Trade shows together in Europe and<br />
representing Canberra at the Powerhouse<br />
Museum exhibition ‘Smart Works. Design<br />
and the Handmade (2007)’. While Brian<br />
creates his pieces collaboratively in<br />
studios around the world, he also has a<br />
commitment to sharing design together<br />
with other Australian craftspeople. He is<br />
currently undertaking a number of <strong>project</strong>s<br />
with friends which will be released later<br />
this year.<br />
Opposite: Brian Tunks, 2020, hand engraved anodised<br />
aluminium. Photo: DMC Photography.<br />
43
List of works<br />
1 Alex Asch<br />
Kind of Blue, 2020<br />
Aluminium with vinyl and<br />
powder coated handle<br />
$1,650<br />
5 Cobi Cockburn<br />
8 White Lines, 2020<br />
Polished and anodised <strong>jug</strong> with<br />
fused glass handle<br />
$1,650<br />
2 Chick Butcher<br />
Budgie Juggler, 2020<br />
Anodised <strong>jug</strong> with specialized<br />
rust treatment applied by<br />
Axolotl<br />
$1,650<br />
6 Cesar Cueva<br />
Parti, 2020<br />
Hand polished, scotch brite<br />
finished, sandblasted and<br />
anodised<br />
$1,650<br />
3 Bengt Cannon<br />
Riptide Sunset, 2020<br />
Muliticolour brushprint<br />
anodised <strong>jug</strong>, hand forged<br />
anodised aluminium handle<br />
$1,650<br />
7 Matthew Curtis<br />
Perforate, 2020<br />
Scotch brite aluminium <strong>jug</strong><br />
with hand engraved, polished<br />
aluminium shield and hand<br />
polished powder coated handle<br />
$1,650<br />
4 Scott Chaseling<br />
Cloudy with the occasional<br />
pour, 2020<br />
Turquoise matt <strong>jug</strong> using a<br />
circular grinding tool<br />
$1,650<br />
8 Xanthe Gay<br />
Whirlpool, 2020<br />
Hand hammered, domed, hand<br />
polished and anodised<br />
$1,650<br />
44
9 Marie Hagerty<br />
Hydria, 2020<br />
Matt silver with black<br />
anodised aluminium<br />
with powder coated handle<br />
$1,650<br />
13 Louise Scrivener<br />
Tessaline, 2020, scotch brite<br />
finish, polished sandblasted<br />
and anodised aluminium with<br />
powder coated handle<br />
$1,650<br />
10 Jess Higgins<br />
Navigate, 2020, hand<br />
engraved anodised aluminium<br />
(charcoal/gold/orange) with<br />
powder coated<br />
handle<br />
$1,650<br />
14 Tom Skeehan<br />
Blush, 2020<br />
Satin finish gradational<br />
anodised aluminium<br />
with polished handle<br />
$1,650<br />
11 Alison Jackson<br />
Spring Rhythm, 2020<br />
Hand hammered anodised<br />
aluminium with powder<br />
coated handle<br />
$1,650<br />
15 Brian Tunks<br />
Popala George, 2020<br />
Hand engraved anodised<br />
aluminium<br />
$1,650<br />
12 Harriet Schwarzrock<br />
Arteriole, 2020, hand engraved<br />
and scotch brite aluminium<br />
(red and charcoal) with<br />
powder coated handle<br />
$1,650<br />
45
46
Photographs of original F!<strong>NK</strong><br />
Collaborative Jugs<br />
Top (L-R) Chick Butcher, Marie Hagerty,<br />
Harriet Schwarzrock, Scott Chaseling,<br />
Tom Skeehan.<br />
Middle (L-R) Alex Asch, Alison<br />
Jackson, Bengt Cannon, Louise<br />
Scrivener, Matthew Curtis.<br />
Bottom (L-R) Cobi Cockburn, Brian<br />
Tunks, Cesar Cueva, Jess Higgins,<br />
Xanthe Gay.<br />
Photos: DMC Photography.<br />
47