"I aim to design and build timeless furniture that can be loved of a life time and handed down through generations."
Jon Goulder grew up surrounded by furniture, both in his family factory and at home. In 1992 he completed and apprenticeship in upholstery and furniture making to become a fourth generation craftsman. He began his professional design career in 1994, designing soft furnishings for large commercial retailers, before moving to Canberra in 1996. He completed a diploma of art, craft and design in the wood workshop at the Canberra School of Art in 1999. Since then Jon has worked hard to design a body of work which grounds him as a stand-out Australian designer.
His work has featured in a number of major exhibitions and publications around the world, including the Object Galleries/Melbourne Museum exhibition, Freestyle: New Australian Design for Living. Jon's work was also included in Smart Works: Design and the Handmade at the Powerhouse Museum. Jon was the inaugural winner of the Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award, has been winner of the Hobart Art Prize and People's Choice Award, and has work collected by the Powerhouse Museum and the Hobart Museum and Art Gallery.
Much of the furniture surrounding Goulder in his youth was antique. He was encouraged to appreciate the various antique styles but always felt that the pieces were too busy and, to his eye, quite grotesque. He describes his clean-lined design sensibility as something of a reaction against this. During his time at Canberra Art School, Goulder was greatly influenced by Ian Gutheridge and the late George Ingham, who placed particular emphasis on craft skills within the course. 'George was instrumental in the way I work because of his refinement and his philosophy on how to make things - to appreciate the process as you go rather than rushing to see the finished article and to discover the nature of materials.'
Some of Jon's designs – the Leda Seat and Calypso Lounge – are represented by Living Edge in America and Australia. Jon has several international clients who work with him in different capacities including exhibitions, private commissions, one-off installation design, and design for royalty / license based agreements with manufacturers.
Jon's first solo exhibition 11.12 New Furniture by Jon Goulder showcases a comprehensive collection of 11 new pieces created over a 12 month period of time. This body of work is being exhibited at FORM Gallery with all major pieces designed and made by Jon at Midland Atelier between 2009 - 2010.