Researcher Summary
Luke Wood's broader research interests and outcomes are motivated by the expanding practices and roles of graphic design in the early 21st century.
Luke is currently (2019) developing primary research for a touring exhibition of NZ-made lathe-cut records for Objectspace (Auckland, October 2019) and The Dowse Art Museum (Wellington, February 2020). This work comes from an interest in the potential for the distribution of music/sound via physical formats in a pervasively digital future. Related to this work, Luke has recently set up the 'art school record label', Ilam Press Records; a subsidiary of the Ilam Press, an inhouse publishing workshop at the School of Fine Arts which Luke runs in collaboration with colleague Aaron Beehre.
As an educator Luke has long been interested in developing ideologies, pedagogies, and propositions for graphic design education. Luke has recently co-edited a book on this subject with Brad Haylock (RMIT), featuring contributions from leading international designers, teachers and academics, to be published by Occasional Papers (London) in late 2019.
Since 2011 Luke – in collaboration with Stuart Geddes (Melbourne) – has edited, designed, printed, and published the award winning publication 'Head Full of Snakes', which explores attitudes towards individual agency, manual labor, and maintenance through the guise of a b-grade motorcycle fanzine. Issue #4 of 'Head Full of Snakes' was released in May 2016.
From 2006–2012 Luke – in collaboration with Jonty Valentine – edited and produced 'The National Grid'; an award winning NZ-based graphic design journal which was distributed internationally and received significant funding from Creative New Zealand.
