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Australian houses, from architectural masterpieces to suburban family homes, Victorian terraces, mid-century marvels, coastal shacks, city apartments, and everything in between.
Award-winning Australian architecture, inspiring homes, and interviews with Australia’s top architects.
In depth features on Australia’s most beautiful gardens and landscape design.
Studio visits with Australia’s most talented creatives, from artists to architects, ceramicists to stylists, furniture makers to lighting designers.
Melbourne artist Kate Rohde is quite the multi-tasker. Since completing her fine arts degree at the VCA in 2001, Kate has gathered a bit of a cult following for her fantastical resin and mixed media sculptures, which have been exhibited extensively Australia wide, and are held in some of our most prestigious national collections, including The National Gallery of Victoria. Kate is also known for her resin jewellery, first created through a collaboration with Sydney fashion label Romance was Born, and now sold through Pieces of Eight and Edition X in Melbourne. More recently, at the request of Pieces of Eight gallery director Melanie Katsalidis, Kate has also been experimenting with functional resin vessels - a series which she calls 'Ornament Crimes'.
'These vessels form part of a collection I titled 'Ornament Crimes’ in cheeky reference to the Adolf Loos Bauhaus' essay ‘Ornament as Crime’, that was written at the advent of the modernist era and rallied against excessive decoration, believing it had a degenerative effect on society' explains Kate! With their ornate detailing, brave colours and almost 'cartoony' style, Kate's vessels certainly command attention, and teeter on the borderline of fine art and functional design. 'I’ve always loved really crazy, excessive detailing in art and design, which in some ways has always seemed at odds with what we now consider good taste' she says.
Kate's new vessels are inspired by her ongoing interest in natural history illustration and rococo decorative arts. After creating simple drawings outlining the basic design for each piece, Kate models each one in intricate detail in clay - this is where much of the design is resolved. Once the clay model is completed, she makes a silicone mould, and casts each piece in resin. 'Some of these pieces are pretty complex shapes and working out how to make the moulds can be quite challenging' she says. 'You need to find a way of extracting the cast easily from the mould, while trying to put the seam lines in places which can be easily sanded and polished'.
Originally created for an exhibition for the L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival 'Windows by Design' event back in April, Kate's 'Ornament Crimes' range is now available exclusively through at Pieces of Eight in Melbourne, priced from $120. Kate's jewellery can be found online at Edition X, whilst her artwork is exhibited in Melbourne through Karen Woodbury Gallery.
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How curiously sweet and reminiscent (for me) of 1970s ‘Avon’ ware, which had a kind of mother of pearl element to it. Lovely little post Lucy, the arrangements are joyful Cecilia and images just so Andrew. x
Beautiful, strange, wondrous and fabulous !
These are just charming
I couldn’t stop smiling at these. Amazing humour and charm. Gorgeous!!!
Gorgeous…
Oh man!!! Love these! I’ll have to make a trip to see them in the flesh! So much character, and super fun. The arrangements are just perfect for them! Thanks for sharing this fantastical artist with us.
very inventive to say the least!
Absolutely exquisite.
Love the innocence sugested in the colours. Also love the dainty feet on the vessels – the green and pink one’s are like little determined deer hooves – the sort I associate with creatures running about in torests in children’s illustrated stories – maybe defying the big bad wolf! The pink/orange vase’s feet remind me of a gallant British bulldog. I also love Cecilia’s floral art and composition that perfectly captures the spirit of gaity (in the old-fashioned sense).
truly amazing is as if they can walk
Beautiful, balanced and enchanting!
Seriously beautiful!
Inspired floral arrangements and wonderfully playful vessels. Pat yourselves on the back big time.
OMG I am in love with the quirkiness of these pieces and the colours, I LOVE her bracelets too. Thanks for helping me discover Kate Rohde!