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Designing History – Broached Commissions
The role of design in defining the modern world is undeniable, but the lens through which we as a society views design is at times skewed to the positive, often neglecting the true nature of the concept. Broached Commissions is a research and narrative-driven production house, exploring the historical role of design through applied arts and, in the process, critiquing design as a construct and its claim of a progressive legacy.
Founded in 2010 by Creative Director Lou Weis, Broached both creates and commissions collectable design pieces, while delivering creative direction for public art and commercial spaces. “The initial idea behind Broached was to trace the origins of Australian design and what it means to design from an Australian perspective,” says Lou. “Through each collection that we commission, we reflect on the way Australian design relates to the global community, creating a lens through which we can examine Australian design in key historical moments.”
Narrative developed through research is central to the ethos of Broached, generating a body of work testament to the power of storytelling through design. “Akin to writing a script for a film, we begin by developing a narrative devised through extensive research,” says Design Director Laura Clauscen. “This document then becomes a springboard for commissioning or curating design, for example, with our recent Broached Recall collection, we developed a narrative [that] was passed onto graphic
designer John Warwicker, who then created a series of patterns born from an interest in modernism and the history of modernity. These two-dimensional patterns were then adopted into cabinets by Broached.”
Commissioned collections, including works from the likes of Adam Goodrum, Charles Wilson, Jon Goulder and Lucy McRae, have explored some of the most profound objects in Australian history and developed a series of applied arts objects that challenge the historical role of design. “We have a quip at Broached that ‘design gives form to power, and that the role of design in society is to give the veneer of desirability to the wishes of the powerful’,” explains Lou. This belief serves as a rallying cry for the development and materialisation of the deeply informative collections, exhibitions and spaces for which Broached has become known.
Looking ahead, Broached will continue to evolve its research-led design process, creating new collections that explore the multifaceted nature of design, including the creation of an affectionately-dubbed ‘chomping machine’ that repurposes antique materials and the unveiling of a new collection at Melbourne Design Fair. “Broached Commissions will be unveiling the latest iteration of Broached Recall at the inaugural Melbourne Design Fair in March 2022, an initiative of the National Gallery of Victoria together with Melbourne Art Foundation,” says Laura. “Broached will also be showcasing works from the Broached Recall collection and Broached Goulder collections with Spence & Lyda at the historical Villa Alba in Kew, as part of Melbourne Design Week.”
Through extensive research and narrative-driven production, Broached is constantly breaking through the surface meaning of Australian design, generating a historical record from the beginnings of modern Australia through to the present-day. By broaching the subject matter of the role design plays in all our lives, Broached Commissions is assisting in the preservation of design history, while concurrently developing a series of limited-edition pieces of pure aesthetic beauty.
