Kaipara Coast Sculpture Gardens

Yesterday, Sunday 20th November, I was invited to the opening of Kaipara Coast Sculpture Gardens Exhibition opening for 2012 near Helensville - just passed Kaukapakapa. Besides the glasses of bubbly and cream scones being a draw card for someone as perpetually hungry as me, I had a great time looking at the sculpture. When I mean looking, I mean staring at each piece through my camera pretty much the whole time and on the run. I had about an hour and a half to go round, which sounds a lot, but not really when there are something like 61 sculptures to view. I had baby sitting, but just till 5pm (and as it was I got back a half past five), which was added incentive to make the most/be efficient with my time.

So there I was looking, looking my brain rattling an internal monologue something like, 'light, more light, faster shutter, no slower shutter, change the iso, zoom in, move over there a bit, nearly, bugger, shutter too slow overexposed, where's the best angle, will those people move?, where's the backlight coming from?, don't breathe, nah that's blurry, oooh good shot! don't twist an ankle, wow that's beautiful, wish so and so could see that...' and words to that effect.

Really, despite the fantastic sculpture being the main draw card, I think it was also the exercise of photographing each piece that made it a distinctive experience for me. I had to think on the run, process each piece quickly, ask questions about lighting, how it fit the space and so on. My experience was immediate and strongly based on how I could compose a good shot. The photos shown here, are not just my favourite pieces, but also the ones that made good images - the ones that didn't photograph so well were mainly due to my fault (blurry), not because they weren't any good as sculptures!

If you want to visit for yourself, see Kaipara Coast Sculpture gardens website for details. Essentially it's about an hour's drive from central Auckland and takes about 1 to 1.5 hours to walk round the 1km trail, no wheelchair access but kids buggies are fine. They are putting a cafe into the plant centre apparently which I vote for with both hands up, but currently there is really nice seating undercover for picnics (wine please!). The plant centre is a great view and there are loads of little garden decorations to buy - I love the glass wall flowers for $9.95 each!

View from my seat on the grass during opening speeches

10 principles for good design

These are Dieter Rams 10 principles for good design. Who is he? Dieter Rams (born May 20, 1932 in Wiesbaden, Hesse) is a German industrial designer closely associated with the consumer products company Braun and the Functionalist school of industrial design. Industrial design is the use of a combination of applied art and applied science to improve the aesthetics, ergonomics, and usability of a product, but it may also be used to improve the product's marketability and production. By the way, go here to see what Braun looks like today.


I am absolutely a fan of anyone who goes to the utmost lengths to make sure that whenever they design something that is functional - to be used rather than simply viewed - they make sure it is utterly user friendly in all aspects and also manages to look good. It's a hard task! I get so ticked off at the badly/poorly designed everyday objects I come in contact with - the baby bouncer, the toilet roll holder, many kids toys, kitchen equipment. Yes I suppose you do get what you pay for to some extent and we can't afford 'the best'. There is also a lot of ok affordable design - it works but could be soo much better aethetically! ... and why were computers grey plastic for so long? (LOL go here for some excessive amounts of history).


10 principles for good design

• 1]  Is innovative - The possibilities for innovation are not, by any means, exhausted. Technological development is always offering new opportunities for innovative design. But innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end in itself.
• 2]  Makes a product useful - A product is bought to be used. It has to satisfy certain criteria, not only functional, but also psychological and aesthetic. Good design emphasizes the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that could possibly detract from it.
• 3]  Is aesthetic - The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products are used every day and have an effect on people and their well-being. Only well-executed objects can be beautiful.
• 4]  Makes a product understandable - It clarifies the product’s structure. Better still, it can make the product clearly express its function by making use of the user's intuition. At best, it is self-explanatory.
• 5] Is unobtrusive - Products fulfilling a purpose are like tools. They are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should therefore be both neutral and restrained, to leave room for the user's self-expression.
• 6]  Is honest - It does not make a product more innovative, powerful or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.
• 7]  Is long-lasting - It avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated. Unlike fashionable design, it lasts many years – even in today's throwaway society.
• 8]  Is thorough down to the last detail - Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the consumer.
• 9]  Is environmentally friendly - Design makes an important contribution to the preservation of the environment. It conserves resources and minimizes physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of the product.
• 10]  Is as little design as possible - Less, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials. Back to purity, back to simplicity.

Examples of Dieter Ram's work that I personally like (I really want the chair)...