“Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Ruth McDermott was trained as an industrial designer. Her professional experience includes working in-house for large and small manufacturers and the international consultancy Pentagram Design in London.
Upon returning to Sydney she ran an industrial design practice with a partner for six years. One product resulting from this design practice was the Fitpack syringe container for the NSW Department of Health.
In 1997, McDermott changed direction and established Ovo Design with Rina Bernabei. This collaborative venture’s first project, Bernini Lights Up, won an international design award and was widely exhibited and published. In 2000 Ovo Design had a major exhibition called 'Lucid’ and some of this work was exhibited at the 2000 'Salone Satellite’ at the Milan Salone Del Mobile as part of the Sydney 612 group.
Since 2000, she has been working solo and has exhibited at the Salone Satellite, Milan Salone Del Mobile in 2001 and in 2003 exhibited with David Trubridge under the name McDermott Trubridge.
In 2005, McDermott had a major solo exhibition at Object Gallery, Sydney, titled 'Coralscapes’, which was funded by an Australia Council for the Arts grant. She now works collaboratively with various architects on a number of site-specific lighting installations.”
Ruth McDermott was a found light artist in collaboration with Ben Baxter of the VIVID Smart Light festival in 2009. McDermott Baxter as the known have exhibited at the Vivid Light festival in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.Thay have as exhibtied at the Frankfurt Luminale light biennale lichtkunst culture in Germany, Lux Wellington in New Zealand. Currently their work will be exhibited in the Netherlands and the Australian consulate.
Ruth currently works as the Design co-ordinator at the University of New South Wales Global.
- Writers:
- Powerhouse Museum
- Date written:
- 2012
- Last updated:
- 2016
