Semi-Permanent 2009 Design Conference Review

The conference doors have closed. The side-stalls have packed away their goodies. And the after party beer bottles have been cleared away. The Sydney Semi-Permanent Design Conference for 2009 has drawn to a close - opening the floodgates for all the reviews. So here's mine...

What I find most inspiring about SP is hearing how artists and designers started their careers. Tales of hard years scratching together an existence to finally pay off is just the remedy for despondent artists/designers. I didn't find this year's conference as inspiring as previous years - but then it's unfair to expect each year to be better than the last. Having said that there were a few speakers that stood out for me, who's presentations I'll share with you.

I have some notes on the other speakers with technical advice. Rather than try to explain it here in an article I'll be posting some tutorials. I really loved Tamara Dean's photograph series using long exposure times; Ian Francis' technique using photo transfer paper; and Daniela Federici's examples of lighting techniques. Keep your eyes pealed...

Timba Smits ~ Wooden Toy Quarterly | Gorker Gallery | The Fad Experiment

This man doesn't seem to take any time out. Running three strains of creative work Timba is the man behind Wooden Toy Quarterly, creative director at Gorker Gallery and manages to find time as a freelancer as part of The Fad Experiment.

Based in Melbourne, Timba spends most of his time in his studio (which he shares with street artist TwoOne) slaving over pay layouts for WT. Looking at each spread you can see the intense attention to detail and passion running through. A huge fan of retro design and texture - Timba's work is saturated with distressed textures as you've never seen before.

Wooden Toy is an exposition of emerging culture, artists and talent focused on youth culture, fashion. music, art, photography and design. Entirely self-published WT is released twice a year worldwide. Wooden Toy | Gorker Gallery | The Fad Experiment

Update: Timba Smits has been featured in the latest edition of WATIM - check it out.

Kate Gibb ~ Silk Screen Artist

What I liked most about Kate's presentation was her retelling the start of her career. It was precisely one of those stories that I mentioned at the start of this article, and there is usually one at each SP. Kate started out studying textile design - screen printing fabrics. When she left college she freelanced straight away, working from home and keeping part time jobs to get by. After a while she decided to go back and study an MA at St. Martins in Illustration - using her time there to take advantage of the studios, equipment and library.

After sending her work out and getting work through agents her big break came when she designed covers for the Chemical Brothers. A moment she feels shackled by and can't seem to shake off - but grateful for the great collaborative relationship she shares with the band.
Her presentation looked at her work over the years and the changes it has undergone.

By far her best advice was to keep experimenting. And more importantly to include these experiments in your portfolio. Pushing your style means you are less likely to get pigeonholed and pushed aside as the times change. Usually you win work off the back of previous jobs - jobs where you have had to compromise your vision. Previous jobs don't always exhibit your range of skills and talent - so including uncommissioned work will open up a more diverse range of opportunities. Kate writes a blog about screen printing - This Is An Original Screenprint.

Bookmark the Semi Permanent website so you don't miss the event photos and films. SP also provide podcasts and video of past events so if you've missed out on getting to SP you can catch up on all the great speakers from the comfort of your armchair.

J xx