The Amazing Gifford Jackson: Industrial Designer

Depot Artspace is excited to present an overdue comprehensive exhibition to honour the professional practice of Gifford Jackson, the 91-year-old Devonport based innovator of New Zealand industrial design. This survey show follows Jackson’s extraordinary creative journey from his Devonport childhood to wartime experiences in Glasgow, London and New York City along with his profession in Auckland where Jackson worked as a design draughtsman at Fisher & Paykel.

Jackson spent 17 years in New York alongside other pioneers of design before applying his unique experience and skills to a 37 year long private practice back home in Devonport. His renderings and working drawings represent the best of the pre-computer era and we are delighted to display these accompanied by a photographic record of his work in New York and New Zealand. Manufactured examples of his design work including Clearlite baths, Feltonmix showers, a PEC petrol pump, a toy sundial wristwatch and a range of electric fence products will also be shown.

Jackson’s original Marisol skiff will be presented with beautiful working drawings that have been sold to boat builders around the world. A slide show will take viewers through this inimitable voyage and a new book on Gifford Jackson by author Michael Smythe will be available for purchase.

This is the first review exhibition of a specific New Zealand industrial designer’s work to be mounted anywhere in the world.