Join us for a casual Wednedsay Talk with Darren Oats at these free weekly lunchtime talks.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Darren is pragmatic, though not utilitarian, in his approach to furniture design. He considers both form and function to be vital. From a personal perspective, he doesn’t see any point in investing the amount of time he takes in making a piece if it can’t be used by its new owners. At the same time, he recognises that form has to come into play, or the piece won’t attract a buyer in the first place. He believes in traditional joinery but is not a purist. If he can make an extremely strong joint using a jig or machine, then that is what he will do. People are purchasing his furniture because of its design, not because it has hand-cut dovetails. Responsible timber sourcing is also important to Darren. A vast majority of his pieces are made from reclaimed Australian native timbers. These are trees that have been cut down to make way for developments – usually housing estates, roads and highways, industrial and commercial sites. Most of this timber is destroyed but there are a few people around with portable timber mills who harvest these beautiful trees, which allows him to make beautiful furniture with it. When he is not using this, Darren tries to use Forest Stewardship Council accredited timber. A lot of Darren’s furniture involves the use of curved elements, the majority of these being bent laminations. Darren tries to keep the lines of his furniture simple but also design pieces that will not blend into the background. In essence Darren is aiming to produce collectable antiques for the next century to come.

ABOUT US

JamFactory is a unique not-for-profit organisation that champions the social, cultural, and economic value of craft and design in daily life. Through our programs we inspire audiences, build careers, and extend contemporary craft and design into new markets.

*Please be advised, photography, filming or recording of the Wednesday Talks Series is not permitted*