Lex has an exhibition currently showing in GalleryTwo at JamFactory, and was kind enough to answer a few questions and invite us to his Thebarton Studio.
Tell us about your background, and
what brought you to furniture design?
Before I left New Zealand I had been studying Mechanical Engineering
with aspirations of transferring into Aeronautical Engineering. I was
travelling around Northern Europe in my early twenties enjoying the aesthetics
of a new way of living. My travels took me to The Netherlands and Scandinavia
where I fell into the realm of Furniture Design.
Have you always been a maker/builder
of things?
So long as I can remember. I was forever building things with my
Lego or Cuisenaire Rods. I spent plenty of time in the shed at home trying new
things while no one was looking.
Can you tell us about your
studio? Where is it? Do you work alone
or with a team?
My studio is situated in George Street Studios, Thebarton. We
are a group of six independent makers encompassing all things metal and wood.
We make furniture, sculpture, surfboards, components and anything you can
imagine. We work in a shared space with the intellectual property and technical
skills that aid one another with our individual endeavors. It’s one of a kind
and has been in existence for 13 years now.
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| Flera Ansikten at JamFactory GalleryTwo |
Flera Ansikten is a collection of production, commission and one
off pieces that I have been making over the last few years. It represents the
diversity of style and work as well as the level of detail involved with these
pieces.
Where does the name come from?
Flera Ansikten is Swedish for Multiple Faces. My wife is Swedish
and our daily life is a mix of Swedish and Australian activities. I enjoy the
diversity of lifestyle and the influences this translates into my work. The
references to everyday luxuries are reflected in the pieces that I make.
 |
| The sign says it all- Outside Lex's Thebarton studio |
Is there a magazine or website you
regularly access for inspiration and ideas? (Feel free to list a few)
You know what, I’d love to say that there is one particular website or magazine that
I draw upon for ideas and inspiration, but the truth is that if I did that I
don’t think I’d get much done. They can be a bit of a distraction at times. I
am a bit partial to Collect Magazine as I have been quite involved with the
creators of tis fine publication. 
Do you do a lot of commission work?
And what would a typical commission be?
Bucket loads! It could be anything from a dining table to a café
fit out, an installation to a church. I do all types of work bar white boxes.
What is a typical day like for Lex
Stobie?
How much time have you got? It’s pretty full on. I start early in
the morning with a couple of coffees to get the brain firing then off to George
Street. I might have to cut up some material, glue something to something else,
cut another piece. I’ll answer some emails, write a few more, and shoot off on
my bike to a meeting somewhere. Then back to the studio to do it all over again
where I might have to order something from interstate or overseas to get ready
for the days to come. After that I race home to put in time with my family
before ‘bedtime’ and then tidy up the onslaught of children and their antics before
collapsing into bed. I do this again and again. I love what I do and the people
I meet. This year has been extreme as I’ve been working three days a week at
the JamFactory in the furniture studio mentoring the Associates and running the
program while continuing to run my own practice.
I’m a gun for hire! During 2012 I have been the program Manager
in the Furniture Studio. I mentor the Associates as they traverse their futures
as designers and makers. I assist in the running of the program and enterprise
with all other departments and avenues that is the JamFactory. I have thoroughly
enjoyed my role at the Jam and I hope to remain connected to the Jam as well as
the high caliber of practitioners that graduate from the
Associate Program.
You can follow Lex and his work online via his website and facebook:
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