Les Mason's Work for Epicurean Magazine Exhibited at The Narrows

12th September, 2010

Epicurean was the first Australian magazine devoted entirely to food and wine.

Under the guidance of its owner and founder Alan Holdsworth, the publication played a significant role in shaping what we now recognise as a vibrant and coherent food and wine culture. Local identities including Len Evans, Dan Murphy, Mietta O'Donnell, Tony Bilson and Terry Durack all found voice in the pages of the magazine, and its place within the as of the Australian food and wine industry is beyond dispute. Holdsworth also had an eye for design, and his appointment of ex-pat American Les Mason as the magazine's inaugural art director was to have a profound effect on both men's careers and beyond.

The influence of Epicurean spread across both the design and food worlds, inspiring young chefs and designers in equal measure. Mason had arrived from Los Angeles in 1961, exuding a charismatic bravado which shook the polite civility of the design industry at that time.

He would later become the fulcrum for a new wave of young designers, acting not only as a mentor and teacher but also as an inspirational figurehead. With free reign to experiment, Epicurean's first 77 issues became Mason's creative playground, a canvas on which his love for art and design met head-on.

Originating at a time of unprecedented social and artistic freedom, he distilled the spirit and energy of the age into a body of work remarkable for its longevity and continuity.

Designer, photographer, art director, sculptor, enfant terrible. Mason is a seminal figure in Australian graphic design's brief history, and this exhibition is the first significant exploration of what many regard as his defining work.

The primary focus of the exhibition will be a display of all 77 issues of Epicurean designed by Les Mason. Additional material will include examples of original artwork and miscellaneous ephemera.

Les Masom's work for Epicurean Magazine will be on display at:
The Narrows
2/141 Flinders Lane
Melbourne

September 30th - November 13th,

www.thenarrows.org

Exhibition curated by Dominic Hofstede