PARADISE ON EARTH:
MARION MAHONY GRIFFIN
Exhibition at the Museum of Sydney
November 2020
The Paradise on Earth exhibition is a celebration of the career and legacy of Marion Mahony Griffin. Located throughout the Museum of Sydney, the exhibition explored Mahony’s architectural beginnings and aesthetic sensibility; her collaboration with Walter Burley Griffin; and key projects in Australia, including Canberra, the Capitol Theatre, Café Australia, and the community of Castlecrag.
My role as exhibition designer included concept design, detail design development, construction drawings, production management and installation. (Project undertaken while working in-house at Sydney Living Museums.)
The exhibition concept was inspired by Marion Mahoney Griffin's passion for nature, natural materials and the Australian landscape. The palette is the particular deep gritty greeny blue of the Sydney harbour that she loved, and white, both painted as a translucent wash onto hoop pine ply, an Australian timber species, with the natural grain showing through. As the exhibition was dotted throughout the museum, the simple strong palette made it easy for the visitor to locate the various components.
Showcase detailing to evoke Castlecrag building details. Showcase background panels and captions direct printed with Griffin's evocative illustrations before assembly, and quotes on the front of the showcase to bring her words to life.
Graphic panel text was direct printed onto solid-looking split-batten fixed panels. One of Griffin's illustrations was etchmarked at the top of each. Section titles were route-cut from solid timber. Superpraphics and reproductions are also all direct printed onto timber. The result is tactile timber exhibition graphics you can smell and touch.
Curator - Dr Anne Watson
Graphic Designer - Bruce Smythe
Project Manager - Bob Whyte
Build - Palm Beach Design
