O'Brien, G. (2017) Close encounters of the European Kind: Captain Cook and the arrival of design in New Zealand. Scope Contemporary Research Topics, Art and Design 14, 136-141.
O'Brien, G. (2017) Voyager IV. Selected exhibitor in Cleveland National Art Awards, Dunedin Railway Station 2017
Gavin O'Brien (2017) Tell me about your thesis. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2018622765/tell-me-about-your-thesis
This brief radio interview on the content of my masters thesis is focussed on its choice of subject (fence wire strainers), as an artifact of protracted study, and the often misunderstood significance of its utilitarian genesis. It reveals something of the competitive market for such products at the turn of the 20th C and the enduring legacy of Hayes' work.
O'Brien, G. and Niimi, M. (2016) Unpicking Toothpicks. Presentation at the International Food and Design Conference, Dunedin, http://www.fooddesign.org.nz/programme/
Researcher Profiles:
Machiko Niimi,
Gavin O'Brien
O'Brien, G. (2015) British Commonwealth Games victory hostess uniform. Text accompanying exhibit. NZ Fashion Museum.
O'Brien, G. (2015) Designer Games: The Victory Hostess uniforms for the 1974 British Commonwealth Games. Context: Journal of the Costume and Textile Association of New Zealand, Issue 31, Summer 2015/2016, pp 26 - 33. An abridged version was also published in the Otago Daily Times as a feature article in their weekend Mix magazine, 25 April.
O'Brien, G. (2015) Designer Games: Jane Daniels hostess uniforms for the 1974 Commonwealth Games. Context, the journal of the Costume & Textile Association of New Zealand, Summer 2015
O'Brien, G. (2014) Swimmingly Cool: Moana Pool. Curator of an exhibition for Moana Pool's 50th anniversary, Dunedin. 16 November 2014-late October 2015.
O'Brien, G (2014) Architectural Watershed http://www.odt.co.nz/lifestyle/magazine/319188/architectural-watershed
O'Brien, G. (2013) Close Encounters of the European Kind. Captain Cook and the Arrival of Design in New Zealand. Design History Annual Conference 2013: Towards Global Histories of Design: Postcolonial Perspectives, 5-8 September 2013, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India.
O'Brien, G. (2012) Straining History - Ernest Hayes: Pioneer Industrial Designer. http://otago.ourarchive.ac.nz/handle/10523/2481.
O'Brien, G. (2009) Un-necessary mother of inventions.
Dunedin Fringe Festival 2009, Chindogu Exhibition. 3 Exhibits: 13-hour clock, shower-cleaning ‘shandals’, and an elastic tape measure. Reviewed in Otago Daily Times, 19th March. http://www.odt.co.nz/tags/fringe-festival-2009/48054/un-necessity-mother-inventions
O’Brien. G. (2008) Restraining Myths: the case for number 8 wire in Design History. The 6th International Conference on Design History and Design Studies, Osaka, October 24 - 27, 2008.
O'Brien, G. (2008) Hot Off the Wire. Heritage New Zealand, Winter 2008. http://www.historic.org.nz/Publications/HeritageNZMagazine/HeritageNz2008/HNZ08-Hayes.aspx
O'Brien, G. (2008) Applied research, Designboom Mart, Sydney 14th – 17th August, Selected exhibitor.
http://www.designboom.com/snapshot/cat/18/view/950/gavin-obrien-new-zealand.html
O’Brien, G. and Waite, N. (2007) Democratising Design: towards a polyphonic history. New Zealand Oral History Conference, Wellington, 28 - 29 July.
O’Brien, G. (2006) The Hayes Permanent Wire Strainer: its origins and its evolution. In Design and Evolution: Design History Society Conference. Eds. Timo de Rijk and J. W. Drukker, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands, 2006. CD ROM. ISBN 978-90-5155-032-0
O'Brien, G. (2006) The Hayes Permanent Wire Strainer; its origins and its significance to New Zealand design. Public presentation, Hayes Engineering Works open day, Oturehua, 12th March.
