Daniel Poole is a bespoke furniture designer in Melbourne, Australia. Providing bespoke design consultancy, design strategy and development combined with a comprehensive in-house master cabinet-making studio. Daniel Poole studied Industrial Design at RMIT University followed by a qualification in Cabinet-Making. Daniel Poole PL commissions are certified with authenticity.

1. Where were you born and where are you from ?

I was born in a tiny town called Speed in rural Victoria, current population 78. A farming community. Most people had homes on their farms so it is a very isolated population. I now reside in Melbourne, Victoria, 400 km south.

2. What is your first memory connected to the art world ?

Thinking that these people are amazing. Specific designers/artists as people, being amazing, their work being amazing. Mostly them as people being amazing.

3. Have you always worked in the art/design field, and what led you to the design creation ?

I have always desired and been attempting to. It’s a long road to being a full-time professional artist/designer. It is sometimes supplemented by something more easily monetised.

4. What led you to the design creation ?

It’s some sort of internal urge to create. To see what I am capable of. An exploration. A determination to make an improvement on whatever else is available.

5. How would you describe your creative process and it influences ?

My creative process is to focus on the outcome first. Decide what the outcome will be and then work out how to get there. I try to ignore the feelings of wanting to be certain on how to get there. The feelings of wanting to be sure I can do it. I start with the outcome and go to work on how to be capable of the outcome. What I need to develop to establish the capabilities.

6. Could you describe a typical day of your work ?

I plan my days quite methodically. This is how I establish momentum and productivity. I always brainstorm my lists, and then I work through the lists. The work is so varied that it is easy to lose momentum, jumping from one thing to another. So I take the time to list my days priorities each morning.

7. Why did you choose the specific materials you work with ?

I have an issue with feeling like great work has to be difficult for it to be great. Or it must have a soul to it. Timber is both of those. I do work in metal and paints as well, I seem to always return to elegant timber furniture designs.

8. What are the technical particularities of your creations ?

A lot of process. A lot of components and I am quite strict on matching grain and timber selection being very consistent which contributes to much more work in the piece, keeping track of what piece goes where.

9. What advices could you give to beginning artists who would like to create sculptural design works ?

Have good ideas, practice, listen for feedback, continually make adjustments. 

10. If your works had to belong to a design movement, in which one would you define it ?

My pieces are a timeline of my life and the relationships in my life.

11. What designers and artists have influenced you ?

Beauty in design is what influences me most. Elegance of the design. Individuality of the design and the designer as a person. And that they’re psycho for their craft. They take it to the enth degree. Local to Melbourne there is a few people that are doing their own thing like nobody else: Michael Gittings, Fred Ganem, Brud Studia, Fletcher Barnes.

12. What contemporary designers do you appreciate ?

Design to me is very separate from art. I consider design to be much more calculated, much more considerate of the cost to produce, the cost at sale, the market for it, design considers economics much more. So when I appreciate design, it’s for the reasons that I feel this designer has very intelligently executed a product with all of the considerations on point. Repeatable. Ease of manufacture. Effective results for the amount of effort required to produce it. I’m not very good at this. I create art when it should be design.

I can’t stand anything that has off the shelf components. If it has any identifiable, cheap product and the designer is attempting to pass it off as design or art. It has required no effort or craft.

13. What contemporary artists (in any kind of art) have you been inspired by ?

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14. If you had to summarize your creations in one word or sentence, what would it be ?

My work is most often a play on the art of cabinet-making. Traditional styles, ideal styles of making furniture mixed with beautiful forms and finishes. It has been that up to date anyhow.

PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE
(The Proust Questionnaire is a set of questions answered by the French writer Marcel Proust.
Other historical figures who have answered confession albums are Oscar Wilde,
Karl Marx, Arthur Conan Doyle, Stéphane Mallarmé, Paul Cézanne…)

11. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Ehhmm. Mmm. Hmm.

12. Which talent would you most like to have?

Not a big believer of talent.

13. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

If I was sensible I would care more about money.

14. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

I don’t feel like I’ve achieved much yet. 

15. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

Someone more intelligent than I am now.

16. Where would you most like to live?

3 places, Bellarine Peninsular home, Victorian High Country property and a Melbourne home and design studio.

17. What is your most treasured possession?

Relationships

18. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Unnecessary/avoidable misery.

19. What is your favorite occupation?

Artist/designer, but one that makes money. 

20. What is your most marked characteristic?

Internally validated.

21. What do you most value in your friends?

Inspiration, Intelligence, positivity, helpful, sharing and caring.

22. Who are your favorite writers?

Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

23. Who is your hero of fiction?

I avoid fiction.

24. Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Carl Jung.

25. Who are your heroes in real life?

Unapologetically Andy Kelly (Brud Studia) 

26. What are your favorite names?

Not a fan of names really.

27. What is it that you most dislike?

–

28. What is your greatest regret?

Tolerating poor company.

29. How would you like to die?

Having left nothing I want to know unanswered. 

30. What is your motto?

Hmm possibly.