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| Damien Harrington: Department of Posts and Telegraphs: P+T logo, 1968; courtesy Crafts Council of Ireland |
Since its closure in 1988, the Kilkenny Design Workshops (KDW) have been a constant presence within the discourses that inform Irish design historiography. Established in 1963 by WH Walsh of Córas Tráchtála – the Irish Export Board – its remit was as a “missionary centre of influence”; a state-sponsored design agency focused on nurturing design for industry in the wake of a growing realisation that Ireland’s future economic success was largely dependent on the strategic development of this sector.1 Until its closure in 1988, KDW significantly altered and shaped the national visual landscape, assisting indigenous industries and Irishbased international manufactures in the provision of material objects for homes, offices, factories, city streets and state-sponsored organisations. It is a selection of these items, including housewares, furniture, technological equipment, posters and corporate-identity systems, that comprise the current KDW retrospective Designing Ireland.
Although design consultancy for industry was its primary focus, the legacy of KDW was far greater than its influence on Irish manufacturing. Internationally it promoted and challenged preconceptions of Irish design, while nationally it raised public awareness of design issues through exhibitions, competitions and the products on sale in its stores.2 Additionally, in the wake of the publication of the infamous report Design in Ireland (1962) and its stark criticism of Irish design education, KDW made significant contributions with regard to the provision of training for Irish designers.3 The extent of the deficit in this area was highlighted by the organisation’s initial dependence on the expertise of designers imported from the industrialised centres of Britain and Northern Europe. While this decision was pragmatic, it also reflected contemporary design discourse which promoted Northern European – specifically Nordic – design as ‘good’, due to its emphasis on functionality, aesthetic simplicity and the use of indigenous natural materials.
Designing Ireland constructs a distinct narrative by organising the objects into a timeline, a device which effectively demonstrates the changing priorities of the KDW project as it matured from the creation of prototypes that indigenous craft-based industries could put into limited industrial production, through an emphasis on Irish industrial design as a distinct discipline, to the promotion of indigenous design and the establishment of awards for design excellence.
The exhibition largely consists of domestic objects, many of which encapsulate the Nordic modernism of KDW’s early years. Notable inclusions are the IQ pendant lights of Holger Strøm, the wooden dining utensils of Gerald Tyler and the reinterpretation of traditional súgán chairs by Peter Hiort Lorenzen. The measured simplicity of these items provide a marked contrast to other objects – notably the wall plaques and textiles of Oisín Kelly and the Beleek pottery of Jim Kirkwood – which suggest a clear awareness of Ireland’s developing tourist industry.4
By comparison to the domestic objects displayed, there are many reminders of KDW’s ubiquity within the wider environment. Damien Harrington’s modernist Post and Telegraphs logo and Peter Dabinett’s uncial inspired Telecom Éireann logo are just two examples from the many semi-state corporate identity systems that emerged from the graphic design workshop, while the inclusion of computers and audiovisual and telecommunications equipment demonstrates a greater concern with technology and industrial manufacturing in the latter years of the organisation. While there has been a sincere attempt to capture the breadth of work produced by KDW, the result of the exhibition is uneven, particularly if examined in relation to the accompanying catalogue. Cumulatively there is too great an emphasis on craft-based production, a misconception of KDW’s remit which may have ultimately contributed to its demise. The exhibition is illuminating on many levels but should not be mistaken for a definitive retrospective; the resources required for which would be far greater than were available for this project. However, the show is a timely reminder of KDW’s contribution to the relatively new phenomena of professionalized design practice in Ireland and a testimony to how much the national design landscape has changed in a relatively short period of time.
1 Much is made of the fact that KDW was the world’s first state-sponsored design agency and as such this expertise was eventually sought by other developing countries including the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Barbados. However this development needs to be contextualised. The establishment of KDW was reflective of the Republic’s post-colonial status as an agrarian country without a large manufacturing base where state intervention was required to address deficiency. In many respects the organisation followed a pattern that had been established with the founding of the State in that where good design existed, it was often state-led. This is apparent in analysis of the design output of the national semi-state companies of which Aer Lingus – specifically in the area of graphic design – and ESB – specifically with regard to architectural engineering – are the most salient examples.
2 The international retail outlets that sold KDW designs included Heals and Habitat in Britain and Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdales in the U.S.
3 Design in Ireland – more commonly known as The Scandinavian Report was instigated by WH Walsh and authored by five leading Nordic designers, who surveyed Irish design in 1961.
4 Kelly was one of several fine artists involved in designing for KDW. Others included Louis le Brocquy (design of KDW logo, 1965) and Patrick Scott (designs for V’soske Joyce rugs, 1979).
Linda King is a lecturer in Design History and Theory at IADT, Dún Laoghaire.
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