When our new Marketing Manager, Blanka Nemeth, asked me to introduce Design Icons Week I admit I was at a bit of a loss.
While I certainly appreciate the form of a simple Featherston chair, find the emergence of the great leathermaker Hermes at auction completely logical and am impressed by Banksy’s clear skill in poetically weaving politics in to his work, I would be fibbing to suggest that these categories are my forte.
That is why I looked immediately to our three specialists in this area; Anna Grassham from Modern Design who literally “owns” this auction category in Australia with her trademark enthusiasm and focus on knowing all the movements of the great design manufacturers, Bethany McGougan in Luxury who can explain (almost scientifically) why some luxury handbags work well on the forearm and others don’t, and Hannah Ryan of Prints & Multiples who with a warmth and ease can expertly talk you through what’s extraordinary within her “hang”. So, what did they tell me about this feast of design, luxury and art? Anna is beyond excited to be offering a collection of Memphis movement pieces never before presented on the Australian market, Bethany is drawn to a rare offering of limited-edition handbags within her collection, while Hannah has curated for this auction the Larry Rawling Collection which features works by some of Australia’s leading artists.
Design Icons Week is the collaborative brainchild of our team that recognised that these three categories are now well and truly defining, both here and internationally, new collecting at auction and deserve to be presented together in this elevated format.
We look forward to welcoming you to Design Icons Week, from the 1st – 8th of April in the upper gallery rooms at our South Yarra location.
JOHN ALBRECHT
Managing Director / National Head of Collections
March 2020
