ORIGINE world

Sep 1

We introduce you to ORIGINE co-founders Alice Rossi and Joel Donaldson who come together over a shared adoration for contemporary design and a plight to further connect Australia with the work of international creatives.

Having worked in the design sector for a number of years and together at stages, the duo recognised that no longer is it enough to simply present good design but that more than ever the user is looking to feel connected to origin, philosophy and understanding how a piece is made. Alice and Joel therefore curate the collection with an eye on materiality and narrative, looking internationally, while maintaining a focus on representing brands and independent studios not yet established in Australia.

Joel comes to ORIGINE with a history in public relations for lifestyle and fashion brands. He is also experienced in furniture design thanks to tertiary education in Design and his work with local creatives. His approach to the curation of the collection is driven by warm minimalism, where materiality and purity of line come together to form a strong and graphic presence.

Alice, originally from a small town nearby Mantova in Italy, brings a background in marketing and merchandising within the fashion industry. She is well versed in the métier, having worked for some of Melbourne’s premier design destinations before co-founding ORIGINE. With a philosophy of fusing furniture to daily ritual Alice’s curatorial approach is driven by strong everyday objects that introduce an element of craft to our lives and that reference cultural anthropology.

It is clear that what drives ORIGINE is global connectivity and serving as a platform for emerging talent. To achieve this the duo curate a collection of furniture, lighting, rugs + objects that extends to an offering of commercial to collectable pieces.

Based in Melbourne, Joel and Alice share a little about themselves, what’s inspiring them at the moment and how they’re getting through the current lockdown.

1. What does a day look like for you during Melbourne’s lockdown?

J - I’ve become a little more indulgent these days and on most mornings take a walk to my favourite bakery All Are Welcome for a coffee and pastry. I’m lucky to live near the Merri Creek so the day is broken-up with some exercise along the trail, getting my fix of other people’s dogs, and lunch compliments of my partner whose taken to the kitchen this lockdown.

A – I start the day by taking our dog Aria for a play at the park and then head back home to start work after stopping to get a coffee. Melbourne has introduced me to Magic coffee and it’s a treat! A little daily ritual. I must say I love Melbourne’s coffee scene as much as I love its design scene.

J & A – Besides our daily pleasures we’re still online for the week. Generally we start the working day with a look through various design accounts and blogs, before moving our attention to the inbox. We stay connected throughout the day to maintain normality and while there’s always a lot of work going on behind the scenes our focus at the moment is introducing the collection to Architecture & Design studios, so we’re spending a lot of time on Zoom.

2. What are your favourite design blogs or accounts right now?

J - For art I love @gerrybonetti. Germano Bonetti is a Milanese art collector who curates a really wonderful Instagram account full of museum quality art by international creatives. For broader design I’m really enjoying the 3D visualisation work of ‘unclassifiable contemporary artist’ Andrés Reisinger and also digital artist Enrico Capanni. @reisingerandres is based in Barcelona, Spain, while @e.n.r.i.c.o.c.a.p.a.n.n.i is based in Florence, Italy. Both really give me my daily fix of dreamscapes. I’m pleased to say that each artist has produced some exciting work for one of our studios, Pietro Franceschini.

A – So intrigued by 3D art! As Joel says, it can immerse us in such a dreamland. When product design is incorporated I see it as an enhancement of the piece to trigger emotions that each one of us can interpret in a very personal way. Interesting visual artists I’m enjoying are Australian @paul_milinski and Italian @m.a.s.s.i.m.o.c.o.l.o.n.n.a. By the way, Refik Anadol’s work presented at the NGV Triennial was phenomenal! When it comes to online accounts, Sight Unseen, Visual Pleasure, Designboom and Domus as great sources of inspiration.

3. What is inspiring you in design at the moment?

J&A – Honestly, just the resilience of the industry. We love seeing creatives adapting to the situation and different exhibitions and events going ahead in a new format. We think of virtual exhibitions like Imagined, for uncertain times, which was held last year and self-produced by 11 independent design studios from nine countries. The digital manifest, Desiderio, produced by Studiopepe to showcase their projects of 2020 and the 4th edition of Collectible, usually held in Brussels but this year taken to a custom digital platform. It’s so wonderful to see the celebration of independent work continue.

We’re now really excited to see a large fair like Salone del Mobile adjusting and going ahead in September.

4. What are your favourite art and design movements?

J – I have a great love for Dadaism and then on from this adore Constructivism for its use of primitive geometry and focus on composition. One of my favourite exhibitions in a time before COVID was the Russian Dada 1914 – 1924 exhibition at Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, Spain, which included some of the best video works I’ve seen in years. I think this really plays in to the pleasure I take from modern architectural movements such as Italian Rationalism and studio Gruppo 7. Each movement has such interesting discourse around what was being responded to at the time.

A - I tend to go back to the defining 1920’s and 30’s when I look at art in general. Art Deco, Bauhaus and figures such as Carlo Scarpa and Frank Lloyd Wright are some favourites. I then also enjoy a lot of work that came out of various avant-garde movements and Modernism. I think this is because I see a lot of influence from these movements and early pioneers in Abstract Expressionism and some of the great art that followed, for example the work of one of my favourite painters Giuseppe Santomaso.

5. What are you reading?

J - I’ve taken a break from novels at the moment after recently finishing A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. Recommend! The two books now getting a work out in my house are Regarding Cocktails by Sasha Petraske and New Wave Clay – Ceramic Design, Art & Architecture by Tom Morris. Regarding Cocktails is a book of 75 cocktail recipes and stories from legendary New York speakeasy Milk & Honey, while New Wave Clay is a global survey of 55 imaginative ceramicists. Lately a Pisco Sour and a look at everything ceramic makes for the perfect evening.

A - I must pause my mind to really take a book in and this is why they are a holiday must for me. I like motivational books and biographies but considering that travel and holidays are on pause right now, I’ve been favouring pictorial books and podcasts. I was glad when I went back to my top of the pile favourite Bohemian Residence recently and got carried away revisiting some quirky imagery from an apartment renovation by Marcante Testa in Venice. There are a few residences in this book that I think I could survive in during lockdown.

Artist: Mark Whalen Image by: Over the Influence, Los Angeles

6. What are you listening to?

J - I’ve really messed with my algorithm this lockdown. I’ve taken a surprise foray in to pop and French electronic music, but find myself returning to the staples which are soul and ambient rock. On heavy rotation is: Esther Phillips, Shirley Brown, J.J Cale and Talk Talk.

A - I love a good podcast and am always on the hunt for new ones. Ted Talks and Radio Hour, Monocole on Design, The Design Files Talks, Masters of Scale are some of my driving podcasts. I reserve a few Italian podcasts for a good laugh when taking a walk. Soul, folk, alternative R&B and house music are for evenings, weekends and cooking time!

7. What Australian artists, designers and events are you excited for right now?

J - With our collection maintaining a focus on international brands and studios at the moment I find it really important to be across the local art and design scene. I’m taken by a number of Australian artists and makers at the moment, coming to mind are: Guido Maestri, Huseyin Sami, Troy Emery, Nell, Mark Whalen, Polly Borland, Zhu Ohmu and Johnson Tsang. It’s was great to see that Troy and Zhu were recently named finalists for the 2021 Victoria Craft Awards.

A - I was very excited about Rising in Melbourne and sad that it had to be cancelled so I can’t wait for its return next year! With regards to local creatives, Australia has a lot to offer. I love the culturally expressive work of Otis Hope Carey, Tracey Deep installations and sculptures, Saxon Quinn and the abstract art of Ian Thomas to name a few.

Artists shown above left: Guido Maestri and Tracey Deep.

8 - Any new hobbies during lockdown?

J - Find me the time. Seriously… help! Life is quite occupied at the moment with ORIGINE but I have been keeping busy getting the garden ready for planting season. The big goal before 2021 ends is to tackle learning piano.

A - Of late I’ve taken to starting the day with an ambient setting and online yoga. I’ve also been riding my bike around a lot more as one way to keep me off my phone. Both give the opportunity for a little moment to unwind.

Artist: Nacho Carbonell Image by: Carpenters Workshop, San Francisco

9. What is your favourite local and international gallery or museum?

J - I’ve been lucky to visit some wonderful international museums, mainly throughout Europe. When it comes to a favourite I struggle to go past Centre Pompidou in Paris. For me it’s avant-garde building and focus on modern art is second to none. When it comes to my own backyard there are so many wonderful galleries representing local artists. I do however always enjoy time spent in the Melbourne arts precent and find Buxton Contemporary such a wonderful resource for its museum quality collection of contemporary Australian art.

A – Oh my, so many great galleries to follow. A couple I like to keep my eyes on are Carpenters Workshop Gallery and Triennale in Milan. I must say that the Australian design scene has exposed me to so much diverse art and I love how Melbourne has such a unique perspective on curation. As someone enamoured by Australia’s art and design scene a visit to NGV is always a pleasure! While I love a visit to NGV International, the Ian Potter Centre and the Australian art Collection has my attention.

10. How do you describe your aesthetic and approach to curation and design?

J - I’ve always been inspired by the juxtaposition between feminine and grunge, bold and sheer. I think this is why I’ve often looked to fashion as a reference and particularly Japanese designers including: Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo and Junya Watanabe. I really enjoy their play on structure and attention to layering.

I guess when I consider my aesthetic more broadly across design I use the blanket term warm minimalism. To me this addresses pieces with unwavering form that are softened by a sensitivity toward material and finish. I see such pieces being able to stand alone in an environment but also offering the ability to serve as a complimentary layer to create unexpected nuance. When it comes to curation of the collection I’m looking for a coming together of these aspects. I believe this provides an element of timelessness and allows for the use of diverse colour and texture throughout the interior of a clients home.

When it comes to finishes selection for projects when I’m working directly with the client I’ve taken to drawing inspiration from aerial photography for the palette. I really love the work of Australian landscape photographer Remy Gerega in communicating the mood for a space.

A - I approach curation and design with an eye to materiality. I’m always looking for attention to form, graphics, contrast and colour accents. I like a mix of historical references with contemporary influence as a juxtaposition of old and new. Essentially, a raw but refined aesthetic with attention to functionality over trends.

For me tactile materials and sculptural forms translate to timeless design because there is always a reference to nature, a constant that we can relate to. With this I draw from nature for my main colour and textural inspirations when proposing a furnishing scheme. I find such references helpful to consider the balance of contrast and accent when curating a space or assisting a client to personalise their environment. As materials and finishes are a key factor in the curation of the ORIGINE collection we welcome a diverse offering allowing one to layer a space with unexpected but cohesive result.

Shark Bay, Perth WA Image by: Remy Gerega

With this, you might wonder what’s next for ORIGINE.

ORIGINE was found with the purpose to express a new vision shared with likeminded creatives, to see things and think things differently, so rest assured… so many things!

As the duo work to introduce the collection throughout Australia for the remainder of the year there’s also a big focus on events and a space to come throughout 2022. Alice and Joel are also always looking to grow the collection. With each represented brand and studio being so widely open to collaborative projects expect to see a coming together of international and local talents progressively.

It’s a collaborative future after all.