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Clement Meadmore and the modernist wave

  • Date recorded: 7 Feb 2019

  • Duration: 01:02:04

'To me, owning a Meadmore is like owning a piece of cultural history from Melbourne'
– Geoffrey Hatty

About this video

Be inspired by this panel discussion moderated by architecture and design author Karen McCartney, exploring the work of artist Clement Meadmore (1929–3005) and his journey from Melbourne-based industrial designer to internationally recognised, New York-based sculptor.

Between 1951 and 1962, when he moved to the US, Clement Meadmore designed innovative furniture and lighting pieces that became synonymous with the new modernist aesthetic and were championed by mid-century architects, artists and designers. Almost 70 years on, Meadmore’s sculptural approach to industrial design still resonates and his pieces are highly collectable.

The talk was held to coincide with the exhibition Clement Meadmore: The art of mid-century design, held at the Ian Potter Museum of Art from November 2018 to 24 March 2019. The speakers include the exhibition's co-curators, Dean Keep and Jeromie Maver, who focused on Meadmore's early industrial design practice during their 2016 Creative Fellowship at the Library.

Speakers

Dean Keep & Jeromie Maver

Dean Keep is the Course Director of the Bachelor of Screen Production at Swinburne University. Jeremy Maiver is a researcher and collector of Australian mid-century design.

In this discussion, Dean explains how he and Jeromie began collecting Meadmore's modernist industrial design pieces, and the process of authenticating pieces for inclusion in their 2019 exhibition, Clement Meadmore: The art of mid-century design. Their research included interviews with Meadmore's contemporaries, visits to Public Records Office Victoria and, notably, the examination of records, manuscripts and archival print collections during their State Library Victoria Creative Fellowship.

Geoffrey Hatty

Geoffrey Hatty is a leading 20th-century historic design dealer based in Melbourne. Geoffrey was the first Australian dealer to open a retail outlet dedicated to icons of 20th-century applied art and design.

In his talk, Geoffrey reflects on the impact of Dean and Jeromie's meticulous research on his own role as a Meadmore collector and dealer in the decorative arts.

Peter Atkins

Peter Atkins is a renowned Melbourne abstract artist who has held over 40 solo exhibitions in Australia and Internationally, along with inclusion in important group exhibitions.

In his talk, Peter expands on Meadmore's work by looking at the artist's parallel practice as a sculptor on his arrival in New York City, from 1964 to 1966, and the ramifications of his exclusion from the influential 1960s NYC show, Primary structures.

Karen McCartney

A writer in the fields of design, art and architecture, author Karen McCartney edited Marie Claire Lifestyle and was founding editor of interiors magazine Inside out. She has published two architecture books on iconic Australian houses, and curated an exhibition on the subject for Sydney Living Museums.

Please note: video captions have been auto-generated and may contain errors.