Clement Meadmore: The Ian Potter
Museum of Art
The first major survey of the influential industrial design work that Clement Meadmore undertook in Australia, before he moved to New York in 1963 and achieved international prominence as a sculptor, is on currently at the Ian Potter Museum of Art, The University of Melbourne. Curated by Dean Keep and Jeromie Maver, Clement Meadmore: The art of mid-century design focuses on the crossover of art, design and architecture, featuring Meadmore’s influential designs including chairs, tables and light fixtures. Rare archival images and documents, and interviews with the artist’s family and colleagues connected to the Melbourne art, jazz and design scenes of the 1950s, are on display alongside sculptures and structures. The exhibition shines a light on Meadmore’s rich design practice and the important cultural shifts that shaped mid-century Melbourne, charting the evolution of the artist’s design aesthetic in the 1950s and early 1960s – the exhibition features his first piece of furniture, a steel rod and corded dining chair, which would form part of the 13-piece series known as Meadmore Originals – and cementing the role he played with the Australian design scene of this time. Clement Meadmore: The art of mid-century design runs until March 24, 2019.
