Brodie Neill: The Tasmanian spirit that goes global

甄健恒

2023-03-01 09:37:00

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Brodie Neill


How should I categorize the design style of Australian designer Brodie Neill? Born in Tasmania, Australia in 1979, Brodie is a Tasmanian born and bred designer. In his early days, he created futuristic pieces that drew comparisons to his "predecessors" Zaha Hadid and Ross Lovegrove; later, he founded the brand "Made In Ratio "In recent years, his designs have become more sustainable: from the reuse of marine plastic waste to new explorations of "Hydrowood" materials, making him a pioneer of environmentally friendly materials. The designer's creative trajectory over the past 20 years can be seen in Resonance, a retrospective of Brody's work at Design Tasmania, opening in late 2022.

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"Nautilus vessel, 1999, made of Myrtle and stainless steel


For designs that are visually striking and give a sense of speed and fluidity, Brody admits that they are the result of a long process of polishing, which is not as straightforward as it looks. For example, made of mirror-polished stainless steel, no seams on the surface of the Möbius belt "@" chair, although one piece, but the production method is not as often thought, from a solid aluminum block "carved" and come. "I had a company actually call me and ask me to produce it that way," he recalls. He recalls, "But I thought: why make it in such a way that generates a lot of waste?"

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"Cowrie, 2013, Made in Ratio, veneer of varnished ash wood


This chair, introduced in 2008, was until recently a prototype, not a mass-produced one. Brody intends to wait until "new technologies that reduce waste" become available before formally producing it. Although the development process was arduous, the innovation of the new production method was recognized, and Time magazine selected the chair as one of the "100 designs" of the year in 2018. The colorful "Remix" low recliner was inspired when Brody saw the amount of waste produced by industry: recycled plastic and plywood were pressed into "new material blocks" and contoured with a CNC cutter. The recliner then has a sleek shape, with bold flowing lines and bright colors reminiscent of the island's popular "Wave Rock" attraction.

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Remix" bench, 2008, made of recycled plastic and plywood

Although a mass-produced furniture brand has been established, Brody's design focus remains on exploring the "essence of design", i.e., problem solving. The Supernova table's legs, for example, are designed with a "three-way symmetry" mechanism that allows them to be "self-leveling. "function. This means that no matter how uneven the ground is, the table can be "flat"; its star-shaped structure also allows the table to meet two (high or low) placement, very flexible; in addition, the structure is made of recycled aluminum casting, just pour the mold and repeat it, the process is simple and very environmentally friendly.

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"Gyro" , 2016, made of marine plastic

Brody has never been one to follow "trends" and his respect and consideration for raw materials and the environment can be considered instinctive. He feels a direct connection to his home country of Tasmania. "Resonance refers to the connection between the materials chosen for the design and the time and place." He explains. The 11 pieces in the exhibition are all authentically "Made in Tasmania". As the "natural state" of southern Australia, Tasmania is not only the place where Brodie was born and started, but for the designer there is no limit to the natural resources that can be explored: his recent work "ReCoil" uses For his recent work "ReCoil", the material used is an old tree that has been "hidden" in the dam of the island for thousands of years.
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"ReCoil" table, 2021, made of reclaimed water woods: Huon pine, Tasmanian Oak, Celery Top Pine, Sassafras, Myrtle and Blackwood made


In the 1980s, when the Australian government built a hydroelectric power station here, it flooded large areas of forest in the Pieman River valley. Some of the most valuable woods in market demand, such as Huon pine, Sassafras and Myrtle, have been preserved by years of submersion in water. In quality, they are not like the existing recycled wood, full of rusty bolts and nails, and not like the reclaimed wood fallen in the forest mold all over, can be called the wood of the "best". However, this type of wood can also release greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide due to natural degradation in water. Therefore, the timely removal of these woods has become a necessity in order to combat the climate crisis. The trimmings from the treatment of these woods became the new raw material for Brody's design.

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"Chair" , 2008, made of stainless steel


These veneered pieces of mizutaki were first hand-bent by the designer himself and shaped into an oval table top. After more than 60 hours of "curling", the "re-rolled" table top was shaped. The table top is then flattened by CNC machines, painted with glossy resin, and fitted with legs to create a design table. The overall production process seems simple, and the visual effect is also exquisite and unique. Behind it lies the designer's deeper thinking.

"Usually in the creative process, designers are always eager to get the result immediately. But this is not possible with 'Re-roll'." Brody explains, "In the literal sense of the work's name, 'Re-roll' is like a description of the annual wheel, a long time spent in layers of wood. The speed and precision of the growth of the annual rings is wonderfully reminiscent of the time it takes for trees to grow and provokes reflection. And the circle, which is also a closed loop, is consistent with the idea of using materials and resources sparingly and is a major thread running throughout the Tasmanian Design Show."

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The "PIVYT" handle


From "@" to "re-roll", Brody's work has a clear evolution of form, but the spirit of the design is still very "Tasmanian". How so? He believes that Tasmania is undergoing a cultural renaissance, spearheaded by art, wilderness and tourism. Even though the island is low-key and unassuming by nature, it is comparable in strength to Australia's home islands. So even though its status in the national and international markets is considered a "niche within a niche", it is exactly what the locals want, attracting some of the world's most dedicated creatives to make it their home.

In Brody's view, Tasmanian Design doesn't need to be famous. There is no secret to innovation and pushing boundaries, but perhaps the ability to listen to the heart and return home is what makes the Tasmanian spirit so special and resonant with the world.


Article Source:艺术与设计

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