Australian Wood Review – June 2019

66 Australian Wood Review

DESIGN

pillar is ‘hand-crafted art of ordinary

people’ and it’s about recognising

the beauty in everyday ordinary and

utilitarian objects created by nameless

and unknown craftsmen.

There are some caveats here. There’s

anonymous and anonymous – clearly

I’m not hiding in a cave on some

remote mountain. And there’s quantity

and quantity. I’m talking quantity on

the human scale: muscle memory and

production process refinement.

In terms of everyday there’s

inexpensive and inexpensive. Too

cheap and the object/materials aren’t

respected – to many people perceived

value is inextricably linked to cost.

There should be a fair price for the

work and materials, but the client

shouldn’t have pay for your excesses.

Everyone should be able to have

beautiful functional objects for use;

egalitarian rather than exclusive. Pieces

that wear well and look better after

years of use. Finishes and materials that

age ensure longevity. Increase rather

than decrease value. Like favourite old

jeans, worn-in and loved leather boots,

timber with the patina of time.

Things should be repairable – this

means by me or someone else. The

emotional attachment needs to be

established first but repairs and

maintenance needs to be considered

at initial fabrication design stage. It’s

important to me that I don’t make

something that can’t be opened up,

pulled apart and put back together.

This is also why I use simple, old

fashioned hand applied finishes.

They’re not as high gloss or bomb

proof as some other finishes but, as I

mentioned, that’s not what I’m after,

but nor should people be afraid to

use my pieces everyday. Use coasters

if you like them, but they’re not

essential. The marks of daily use tell

a story and stories are important.

The Mingei philosophy applies to objects

that are representative of the place in

which they were produced. Globalisation

and homogenisation of design has meant

there’s been a loss of the vernacular.

I live in the real world, a world of

Instagram and sometimes almost too

much visual stimulation and inspiration.

I tackle this by using local materials

(where possible) for local people (mostly).

In conclusion, I’ve tried to give you an

insight into some of the tools that I

use when designing, for me it’s mostly

about authenticity and differentiation.

There needs to be a point of difference.

The piece needs to do its job well, age

with grace and be respectful of the

materials it’s made from.

In issue 101 we presented an abridged

version of Melbourne architect and

woodworker Adam Markowitz’s talk at

AWR L!VE in Sydney, August 2018.

Laura McCusker was profiled

in AWR#92. She lives and

works as a furniture designer

maker in Hobart, Tasmania.

Learn more about Laura at

http://www.lauramccusker.com

Right: Many different

versions have been made

of the original Frank’s Table.

This one is made from

Eucalyptus regnans

and measures 3200 x

1680 x 720mm.

Photo: Peter Howard

Below: Laura McCusker’s

LXN round table in oxidised

eucalypt 1400 dia x 720mm.

Photo: Peter Whyte