Wallpaper roll, 'Matsu', screen-print on paper, designed by Cherie Miles for David Miles Handprinted Wallpaper, Sydney, 1973.
Modernist, Oriental and locally-inspired designs featured prominently in the David Miles Handprinted Wallpaper collection of the 1970s. This Japanese- inspired design, featuring tree branch, fruit blossoms, flowers, bamboo and bird motifs, was designed and printed by Cherie Miles using six separate screens. The multi-colour design enhanced by being printed onto a luxurious gold textured expensive imported paper. Adventurous for its time, the designer found inspiration for the design following an industry-sponsored trip to the United States of America in 1972 where she and her husband David Miles, visited many of the leading American wallcovering and fabric manufacturers, including Van Luit of New York.
The wallpaper roll, part of a larger collection of material relating to David Miles Handprinted Wallpapers, highlights the collaborative contribution Australian women pmade to the ustralian design industry.
Anne-Marie Van de Ven, Curator 2003

Cherie Miles (nee King), born Sydney 1950. commercial photographer to various advertising agencies, artist, fabric, fashion and wallpaper designer.
After an early career as a commercial photographer, Cherie Miles became a co-designer and business partner to her husband (married 1970) who had established David Miles Handprints Australia in 1969, in direct competition with Florence Broadhurst (Handprinted) Wallpapers Pty Ltd.
After Wilsons Fabrics and Wallcoverings (Arthur G Wilson Pty Ltd) purchased David Miles Handprints in 1971, Cherie and David Miles travelled on an industry-sponsored research trip to the United States of America visiting American fabric and wallpaper manufacturing industries, including Van Luit in New York. Their design concepts matured as a result of this trip, and in 1972 26 David and Cherie Miles handprinted wallpaper designs were selected for inclusion in the Industrial Design Coucil of Australia (IDCA)'s Australian Design Index.
Around 1977, after Wilson Fabrics and Wallcoverings purchased Florence Broadhurst (Handprinted) Wallpapers 'Signature Handprints' was established to differentiate the various signature designs. Following a take over of Wilson by James Hardie Industries Pty Ltd, David and Cherie Miles moved to rented premises in Myrtle Street, Chippendale where they operated their business with ten 20 metre long flatbed screen printing tables from around 1977 to 1989 under various names, including Cherie Miles, Lilly Pilli Designs and David K Miles which they sold to Baresque Pty Ltd. Cherie and David Miles continued designing for Baresque during the 1980s, eventually abandoning wallpaper, fabric and fashion design for limited edition art prints and painting around 1989.


Screen printed for David Miles Handprinted Wallpapers at Wilson Fabrics and Wallcoverings, Sydney

From the personal collection of the designer.
'Matsu' was used in Berridor Manor, a health retreat in Bowral, a health resort/retreat that was part-owned by cook and culinary author, Margaret Fulton.
The interior design of Berridor Manor was by Babette Hayes, decorator, writer and author of 'Australian Style' (Paul Hamlyn, 1970).

Wallpaper roll, 'Matsu', screen-printed on paper, designed by Cherie Miles for David Miles Handprinted Wallpaper, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1973

Designed by Cherie Miles for David Miles Handprinted Wallpaper, the Japanese-inspired design features a motif of a tree branch with fruit blossoms, flowers, bamboo and a bird. It is a multi-coloured six screen design on gold textured paper.

Designer: Miles, Cherie; Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; 1973

2003/105/3

1973

2.315 m

0.758 m