Creative People

Dale Hardiman and Tom Skeehan's Annual General Meeting Is About To Commence

Hearing the term  ‘Annual General Meeting’ doesn’t ALWAYS  inspire feelings of delight and excitement…However, in this instance, the A.G.M. has been called by two of Australia’s most impressive designers Dale Hardiman and Tom Skeehan of Friends & Associates. Consider our interest immediately piqued!

Friends & Associates celebrates the camaraderie and support in the Australian design landscape, with an exhibition of over 50 pieces by 40 independent designers working across furniture, lighting, and accessories.

On today and tomorrow, 10am – 5pm, this is an A.G.M we are most pleased to attend.

Written
by
Lucy Feagins

The Friends & Associates ‘Annual General Meeting’ takes place at The Stables in the historic Meat Market building. Photo – Matthew Smith.

Rugs by Sarah K, lights by Adam Markowitz, timber bench by Rolf Barfoed, print by Marcus Piper. Photo – Matthew Smith.

Basin with spout by Thomas Coward, Arch mirror by Rhys Cooper. Photo – Matthew Smith.

A collaboration between Maddie Sharrock and Brooke Holm. Photo – Matthew Smith.

NAVE chair and HOSHI rug for Stylecraft, by Tom Skeehan. Photo – Matthew Smith.

The Bloom Cabinet by Adam Goodrum and Arthur Seigneur. Photo – Matthew Smith.

Sia Chair by Tom Fereday for NAU, table by Adam Markovitz. Photo – Matthew Smith.

The new Sister chair by Dowel Jones in collaboration with Tom Hancocks. Photo – Matthew Smith.

NAVE chair and HOSHI rug for Stylecraft, by Tom Skeehan. Photo – Matthew Smith. Photo – Matthew Smith.

Tom Skeehan and Dale Hardiman of Friends & Associates. Photo – Matthew Smith.

Vessels by Damon Moon. Photo – Matthew Smith.

Works by Ebony Heid. Photo – Matthew Smith.

Writer
Lucy Feagins
15th of June 2018

We often find ourselves featuring the work of solo creative practitioners, and really love championing incredible independent initiatives. But in celebrating all of these genius self-starters, we find time and time again, that success in creative fields is ALWAYS set against a robust and supportive eco-system of peers in the background.

This relationship between self-driven projects and supportive cooperation is the focus of the A.G.M exhibition, presented by Dale Hardiman and Tom Skeehan of creative collective Friends & Associates (both design super-stars in their own rights.). The duo began their collaboration in 2017, as a means to highlight the ‘strength in numbers’ for individual creatives, within the broader contemporary design industry.

Now in their second year, the pair have curated a serious powerhouse of whiz-kids and Aussie design-icons in their new A.G.M (honestly, just LOOK at the list.). Friends & Associates was informed by a sense of inclusivity and generosity, and this is evident in the ethos of the exhibition. Dale describes, ‘we host these exhibitions for our community – to support each other and to bring an important group of creative practitioners together in the same room, working together instead of in opposition.’ For those who often work long hours in the studio alone or in small groups, the A.G.M provides a celebration of the diversity of creative production in Australia, and the solidarity and friendships which support it.

The exhibition also includes a selection of pieces from LOCAL MILAN No.3, held during the Salone del Mobile Milan 2018, and featuring the best-of-the-best of Australian independent design. Tom describes that the ‘A.G.M. presents a slice of where we are at in Australian design, where we are drawing inspiration from, what materials we are using.’.

The exhibition opens Thursday 14 June at the historical Melbourne Meat Market building, The Stables. Prepare the agenda and minutes, the A.G.M is about to commence.

June 14 – June 16 by Friends & Associates
The Stables, Melbourne Meat Market
2-8 Wreckyn Street North Melbourne, Victoria

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