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Tully Walter a friend of No Fourth and contributor to Faint magazine, dialogues with Sam Michael gaining Sam's personal perspective on a variety of issues surrounding Australia's contemporary design climate.
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T.W.
“Historically, the Australian coined “cultural cringe” describes the ingrained feelings of inferiority Australian intellectuals and artisans have struggled against, most clearly pronounced in literature, film, art and design. Have you at any time as a creative felt the presence of this phenomenon”?
S.M.
“I think as a creative individual, I have definitely noted a collectivized naivety that characterizes the Australian cultural archetype. This naivety has come about I believe because, for a long time our national persona was content with the “larrikin logo” we had inherited from America Europe etc. Ergo cultural and artistic pursuits have not played as much role in informing our national identity because the national persona has been built around noticeably masculine notions, sports I guess being one of the first things that comes to mind. This is not to say that creative individuals are a contemporary phenomena in Australia, as our cultural and artistic history is rich….. yet I guess not valued, considered, appreciated and studied enough by the masses”.
T.W.
“Where do you believe it stems from”?
S.M.
“If we won’t to go right back…………. I guess it stems from the fact that, the individuals whom founded our country were convicts, therefore we can derive that those who set down the foundations of our nation weren’t extremely concerned with solidifying a cultural identity early on. Instead over time and changing ideals we have slowly built an appreciation for the arts and design as we are all realizing more and more, the value it has to building our cultural character and identifying us more as a sophisticated informed people”.
T.W.
“Has your experience as an Australian - your cultural identity, informed your design process?”
S.M.
“Well my cultural background is not entirely Australian I’m half Portuguese, so that cultural context and more generally the European cultural context, has definitely had some effect on my perception of aesthetics, beauty etc, and also on my judgment of what it is TO BE Australian. I think being Australian in essence is being an international, as our country as I have just eluded to has no real collectivized cultural matrix, (due to the fact that the majority of our population is composed of generational migrants) we are all the product of somewhere else. Of course there is our rich and long lasting indigenous heritage however that is and I believe should be withheld by the people to which it belongs. So in effect being an Australian citizen is also being a global citizen, a human product of layered and condensed cultural history, influence and origin. Now… does this inform my design process? ………. Yes, definitely. I’m extremely sporadic and draw references from everywhere hence having a huge cultural melting pot of information, aesthetics, reference etc to draw from is invaluable”.
T.W.
“Where do you draw your inspiration from”?
S.M.
“I draw my inspiration from anything and everything a gesture, painting, building, form, individual, animal, feeling, texture etc. Sporadically , I connect with things that inform and build on my notion of beauty. Most often these things are minimal, I’m extremely minimal and love the idea that something can be aesthetically and conceptually reduced to a point of poignant perfection. Elaborate decoration, flourish and intensive ornamentation are not things I generally empathize with. However in the same breathe, I like to push myself and not allow my ideas to stagnate…. so experimentation whether good or not often comes into play”.
T.W.
“What do trends mean to you”?
S.M.
“Trend” to me, specifically in contemporary society is an extremely commercial notion, invented by the idea of rapid consumption. Trend is a collectivized and often prevailing tendency, to which emerges because of experimentation by individuals who often create something quite innovative, which is then is accepted, multiplied and mimicked by others. Trends are ever changing and often transient I guess because they could in some way be tied to our pathological search for perfection. A trend in different contexts means many different things, however I believe that these days “trend” has evolved into a social idea where by, if your not in trend your not accepted. This I believe is wrong, because trend should be symbolic of nothing more than the aesthetic and conceptual current, which alters and changes course. For someone operating in a creative sense, I believe trend should not come into play at all, what one creates should be an enigmatic product not one informed by a trend. All this one must note can only happen in an ideal world, because we are living in a postmodern age subconsciously and consciously influenced by something else constantly. I guess trend is a paradox ……… and very annoying one”.
T.W.
“Do you think it is important for Australian designers to separate themselves from the aesthetic produced internationally”?
S.M.
“I absolutely think It is important for Australian designers to separate themselves and their designs from overseas aesthetics. The idea of trend comes into play very heavily for the Australian design psyche. I believe because there is these collective feelings of wanting to prove ourselves. However often Australian designers adopt poor methods of doing so, using “imitation” and the following of “trend” to inform their designs. This does nothing but create subversive copies to which contribute very little to building a genuine cultural design identity”.
T.W.
“What do you believe is the key for Australian designers to building a relationship with an international fashion audience”?
S.M.
“Genuine creativity, fresh ideas, and developing and implementing outlets to nourish these ideas”.
T.W.
“And finally on perhaps a more positive note how would you describe the creative climate in Australia/Sydney at the moment”.
S.M.
“I think there is still an unfortunate resonating reliance on imitation and appropriation, however there is a new dynamic spirit emerging because of people who are staying true to themselves and are looking inside themselves to create instead of inside others. Sydney’s culture is beginning to evolve and the taste for something beyond the usual is growing. People are becoming more confidants in themselves and themselves in fashion, hence designers are needing to step up. SOME are definitely doing so, whilst others are remaining complacent. I think the only way forward is for a collective push toward truly understanding ourselves so we can create for ourselves, not versions of someone else’s creations”.
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