Grant Featherston b. 1922 Geelong, VIC

  • Designer (Furniture Designer / Cabinetmaker), (Industrial / Product Designer), (Glass & metal Artist / Designer)
A pioneer of industrial design in Australia. Featherston helped to form the Society of Designers for Industry (now the Design Institute of Australia) in Melbourne in 1948.
Keywords: furniture, lighting
Talk | Version history | Updated Dec. 7, 2011 | Created Sept. 14, 2011
Name
Grant Featherston
Birth date
c.1922
Birth place
Geelong, VIC
Death date
c.1995
Death place
None
Gender
Male
Roles
  • Designer (Furniture Designer / Cabinetmaker)
  • Designer (Industrial / Product Designer)
  • Designer (Glass & metal Artist / Designer)
Residence
  • Melbourne, Vic.
Other Occupation
  • Serviceman c.1939- c.1945
Keywords:
furniture
lighting
Active Period
  • c.1947-
Training
  • Unnamed course
Is Indigenous
No

An industrial designer practising in Melbourne, Featherston was born in Geelong and began his career as a designer in glass and lighting without formal training.

After service in the 1939-45 war, he began to develop a range of furniture that has become his signature product: the Relaxation range (1947-49) and the famous Contour Chairs (1951-55 but re-released in the 1990s). This furniture was initially made by Grant Featherston but later licensed to other manufacturers.

Featherston formed a design partnership with wife Mary in 1966 and together they were the winners of many Good Design Awards. Internationally, his best-known work is the famed Talking Chair, commissioned by architect and design critic Robin Boyd for the Australian Pavilion at Expo ’67 in Montreal. When sat upon, these chairs delivered a tape-recorded message on Australian topics in French and English.

Grant Featherston was one of the pioneers of industrial design in Australia and helped form the Society of Designers for Industry (now the Design Institute of Australia) in Melbourne in 1948. Curator Terence Lane organised Grant Featherson’s retrospective exhibition 'Featherston Chairs’ at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1988.

Writers:
Bogle, Michael
boglem
Date written:
Last updated:
spouse of
Mary Featherston
1943
Designer (Architect / Interior Architect / Landscape Architect)
commissioned by
Robin Boyd
1919
Artist (Cartoonist / Illustrator), Architect (Architect / Interior Architect / Landscape Architect)
Boyd commissioned Featherson to create the Talking Chair for the Australian Pavilion at Expo '67 in Montreal.
associate of
Terence Lane
Curator
associate of
Frances Burke
1907
Designer (Textile Artist / Fashion Designer)
employee of
Aristoc Industries
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
associate of
Society of Designers for Industry
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
Helped to form the society in 1948.
None
Courtesy of: Powerhouse Museum
A10980 Chair, 'Poli', fibreglass reinforced polyester, designed by Grant and Mary Featherston, Victoria, made by Polyfibre Products, Hawthorn, Victoria for Module Furniture Co, Melbourne, Australia, 1971
URL
http://from.ph/172286
A10980
None
Courtesy of: Powerhouse Museum
86/1308 Chair, "Expo Sound", polystyrene foam / polyurethane foam / Dunlopillo foam rubber / Pirelli webbing / fibreglass / hardwood / wool / sound equipment, designed by Grant and Mary Featherston, Melbourne, 1966, made by Aristoc Industries Pty Ltd, Mel
URL
http://from.ph/55635
86/1308
None
Courtesy of: Powerhouse Museum
'Stem' dining setting by Grant and Mary Featherston
Date
1969
URL
http://from.ph/345955
2005/175/1
Talking Chair
Date
c.1967
Medium
Furniture
Note
designed
Commissioned by architect and designer critic Robin Boyd for the Australian Pavilion at Expo '67 in Montreal. When sat upon, these chairs delivered a tape-recorded message on Australian topics in French and English.
Note: designed
None
Courtesy of: Powerhouse Museum
Mark I Sound Chair designed by Grant and Mary Featherston
Date
1966
URL
http://from.ph/379571
2008/144/1
Contour Chairs
Date
1951- 1955
Medium
Furniture
Note
designed
Re-released in the 1990s.
Note: designed
None
Courtesy of: Powerhouse Museum
89/539 Chair, R152 Contour Chair, plywood / fibre horsehair / wadding / rubber / hardwood / calf skin, designed by Grant Featherston, Melbourne, c. 1951
Date
1951
URL
http://from.ph/97939
89/539
Relaxation Range
Date
1947- 1949
Medium
Furniture
Note
designed
Note: designed
Collections
Featherston Chairs
1988-
Exhibition (exhibited at)
None
None
Melbourne Olympics Arts Festival
1956
Festival (exhibited at)
None
Citations:
  • Powerhouse Museum, 89/539 Chair, R152 Contour Chair, plywood / fibre horsehair / wadding / rubber / hardwood / calf skin, designed by Grant Featherston, Melbourne, c. 1951, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, NSW, (14 September 2011), Type: website http://from.ph/97939
  • Featherston, G in John Button (ed), (1968), 'Product Design'. Look Here. Considering the Australian Environment., ([Fabian Society Lectures]. Cheshire), Type: book
  • Lane, Terence, (1988), Featherston Chairs, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Type: catalogue
  • Powerhouse Museum, 89/539 Chair, R152 Contour Chair, plywood / fibre horsehair / wadding / rubber / hardwood / calf skin, designed by Grant Featherston, Melbourne, c. 1951, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, NSW, (14 September 2011), Type: website http://from.ph/97939
  • Powerhouse Museum, 86/1308 Chair, "Expo Sound", polystyrene foam / polyurethane foam / Dunlopillo foam rubber / Pirelli webbing / fibreglass / hardwood / wool / sound equipment, designed by Grant and Mary Featherston, Melbourne, 1966, made by Aristoc Industries Pty Ltd, Mel, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, NSW http://from.ph/55635
  • Powerhouse Museum, A10980 Chair, 'Poli', fibreglass reinforced polyester, designed by Grant and Mary Featherston, Victoria, made by Polyfibre Products, Hawthorn, Victoria for Module Furniture Co, Melbourne, Australia, 1971, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, NSW http://from.ph/172286
  • Powerhouse Museum, 'Stem' dining setting by Grant and Mary Featherston, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, NSW http://from.ph/345955
  • Powerhouse Museum, Mark I Sound Chair designed by Grant and Mary Featherston, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, NSW http://from.ph/379571