John Underwood, Phuket resident and native of Australia, has worn three hats during his interesting career in the world of art and design. He has been a sculptor, a designer and a fabricator of designs created by his self and others. Formally trained as a sculptor at the Victorian College of Arts in Melbourne, he's often described as an artist. On the other hand, his impact on the art world has frequently involved turning the designs of others into reality - and this is what he does on Phuket. He takes the designs of people like noted designer Bill Bensley and brings them to life at Underwood Design and Development, his factory near Phuket Town.

For John, the link between being an artist/designer and a builder can be found in the sort of things he designed early in his career. Many of these projects were large, and involved applying technology, where, when compelled to turn his own designs into actual works of art, he learned lots about the nuts and bolts of making things. To help build his designs, he formed Artbusters Creative Co., Ltd. in Brisbane, Australia.

John first came into the international spotlight with his "Human Factors" sculptures, which created a stir at the World Expo 88 in Brisbane. Although these creations, made of fibreglass and coated white, simply showed people doing ordinary things, they derived their powerful impact from the way they illustrated universal and timeless human qualities. The sculptures can still be found at several locations around Brisbane.

This early success led to many commissions for works, some of them involving designs requiring mechanics and electronics. Over the years, the projects became larger, and Artbusters evolved into a company with a large number of employees and branches in several countries, including Thailand.

Artbusters creations can be found throughout the world, including at several Expo sites. The group created the unique 6x4 metre and 4x4 metre Italian glass floor mosaics that grace the international airports in Melbourne and Brisbane. Artbusters also created the popular 6-metre-high cantilevered whale and 2.5-metre dolphins found at the KLCC Parklands, adjacent to the Petronas Tower Buildings, in Kuala Lumpur.

John still designs and makes things himself, but one gets the feeling, in talking with him, that he's comfortable leaving the designing to others. Currently, the main "other" is the Bill Bensley Design Studio, in Bangkok. Bensley, a prolific landscape architect from California, primarily designs 5-star resorts for hotels around the world. His designs often include unique furnishings, fixtures and works of art that John Underwood creates at his factory here on Phuket.

A recent example of an Underwood rendition of Bensley designs can be seen at the JW Marriott Resort and Spa, on Mai Khao Beach on Phuket's northwest coast. Many of the fixtures, furnishings, and etched glass, including 1,000 woven burnished-steel light fittings, were done by Underwood here on Phuket. Other collaborations have added interest and beauty to resorts in Cambodia, India and Mauritius. At present, Underwood's working on a project for Bensley on the Malaysian resort island of Langkawi. He's extremely enthusiastic about his involvement in this joint venture between Malaysian Airlines and Four Seasons Resorts, claiming it's destined to be a "6-star" resort.

Although the work Underwood does for Bensley Design Studio keeps his factory busy, he does accept other commissions, and still occasionally creates pieces from his own designs. "We can always use more work," he says with a smile. "But our 30 employees are pretty busy at the present time."

John, his wife Judy and their two children love living in the tropical, laid-back atmosphere of Phuket. He has been in the design and development business for over 20 years, including 10 years in Thailand, 7 of which were spent in Bangkok. The three years on Phuket, however, have been special for Underwood family, and the business has clearly prospered.

The move from Bangkok to Phuket was more than simply a physical change; it also signalled a change in the kind of work done by Underwood and his team. The Bangkok factory was larger, and they took on bigger projects, for example creating an artificial mountain for a theme park in Osaka. But the economic crunch of 1997 hit everyone hard, and Underwood and his group had to scale back. "In Phuket we do smaller projects," he says, "such as manufacturing furnishings that possess a large craft component."

The success of the business illustrates recent changes on Phuket. For tourists, the island is obviously a place where they come for watersports, lounging in the sun and all the other activities associated with a tropical holiday. For locals, life on the island long revolved around tin mining, operating pineapple and rubber plantations and, most recently, working in the tourist industry. Today, however, a new and unexpected dimension, has been added to the island's economic and social dynamics. Small manufacturers like Underwood Design and Development have come to the island, and are providing money from abroad and jobs for locals.

John Underwood is enthusiastic about operating a business on Phuket. "For us, it's an ideal place," he says. "Our Thai staff are brilliant, and possess a level of skills we can't find in other parts of the world. They learn quickly, work hard and enjoy the kind of work that we do."

"Another positive factor about Phuket," he adds, "is that it is a location that is attractive to potential clients. It is a place people like to come to do business. When confronted with the choice of an industrial estate in a big city somewhere or beautiful Phuket, people are going to select Phuket every time. The island is now easily accessed. There are direct international flights from several major cities, and it's easily accessed several times a day from Bangkok."

John Underwood, artist, designer and fabricator, has made a home for himself on Phuket. And the island, for its part, is happy about his arrival and the impact he's making throughout the world. www.underwood-phuket.com