Photography: Kristoffer Paulsen
Stylist: Emma Byrne

What's the go with that meat-and-two-veg jelly cake? Who's that baguette-eating bottle, and why is it wearing dish gloves? We talk to MFWF head of creative Dion Amor about paying homage to groundbreaking Victorian designer, Les Mason.

You may have been taken by the remarkable images leading this year’s Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. We’d love to take full credit for them, but in fact, the inspiration came from a man referred to as “the father of Australian graphic design” and “the designer of the Solo can”, Les Mason.

Mason, who died in 2009 at the age of 85, was the art director at Australia’s first food and drink magazine, Epicurean, across 77 issues spanning 1966 to 1979. His work was the subject of an NGV retrospective in 2015-16, where he was described as “a practitioner and provocateur who indelibly influenced the emergence of Melbourne’s graphic design culture”.

In his first Festival at the drawing board, Melbourne Food & Wine Festival head of design Dion Amor decided 2025 was the right time to pay homage to the great man.

“My aim was to bring a sense of playfulness, fun, and vibrancy to this year’s Festival,” Amor says. “Les Mason’s work for Epicurean provided the perfect foundation – it connects with the ethos of MFWF, which champions the joy and creativity of food and wine in Victoria. His influence continues to inspire and resonate, making this homage especially timely and meaningful for MFWF in 2025 – which marks 50 years since Mason’s first issue.”

Mason’s work drew from a broad palette of artistic movements including Dadaism, Arte Povera, geometric abstraction, colour field painting, pop art, and op art. But for all the rich creativity and grandeur of scale that defined Mason’s work, says his widow, artist Gail Devine, each concept began life as a simple sketch. “His ideas started as small drawings with a 2B pencil on oilskin paper. The final selection would be developed up as art on canvas, photography of props sourced and adapted to make up the final issue. There was no money for luscious food shots typical of today’s foodie publications.”

In looking at ways to connect Mason’s work to the Festival for a contemporary audience, Amor says stop-motion animation struck him as a natural choice. “It felt like the ideal medium: it mirrors the craftsmanship and tactile nature of the era,” he says.

“It took a lot of time and work, but I was fortunate enough to work with an incredible team.” Having Kristoffer Paulsen shooting and Emma Byrne styling, he says, made all the difference. “We also collaborated with some exceptional prop makers. Matthew Vrettas of Ghostwares crafted a beautiful and unique three-legged head, while Chris Yuille created a brilliantly retro ’70s-inspired jelly cake made with a cheeky twist: the ingredients representing a classic Aussie dinner of meat and two veg.” The finishing touches were laid by retoucher Suriya Black and colour grader Daniel Stonehouse from Crayon.

By Frank Sweet