Project in Review: Melbourne Square

Visionary project Melbourne Square is slowing coming to life, with staggered stages of the complex opening up to the public. Located in the Southbank precinct of the city, it’s a mere stone’s throw away from the bustling life of the CBD, as well as conveniently close to the Royal Botanical Gardens and some of Australia’s best education institutes. For a venture as meticulously designed as this, Melbourne-based architecture and interior design studio Carr worked closely with Bluethumb’s interiors whizz Alexandra Stavrou. Together, their carefully selected interiors and choice of artworks have facilitated a serene atmosphere going above and beyond the needs of the Melbourne Square project.

Catherine from Carr recently shared her experience of collaborating with Bluethumb on this ultra exciting affair. Read on to hear about her experience – and see some exclusive photos of the team’s handiwork by photographer Tim Allen!

What a welcoming space! Best seller Dinah Wakefield was one of a number of Bluethumb artists to have work included in the project.

The Brief

Carr’s brief was to incorporate artwork into the common spaces to add an additional layer of warmth and vibrancy. “We envisaged abstract and timeless pieces to compliment the spaces,” Catherine adds. “We wanted to collaborate with Bluethumb because of its method of obtaining artwork. This project had a very short lead time and Bluethumb’s access to a strong portfolio of artists allowed for an efficient yet thorough curation of appropriate pieces.”

The subdued hues of Karen Hammat’s abstract landscape offers an earthy, calm energy to this area. Featured: In Plain Sight

With a lead time of three weeks to have the selection of artworks ordered, time was of the essence for this project. “Bluethumb’s collaborative nature and knowledge allowed for a sense of ease throughout the process,” Catherine recalls. “The immediate access to artists within the portfolio enabled us to execute outcomes very quickly.”

This piece, A Walk in the Woods by Kate Owen brings the feeling of cool lush greenery to this light-filled space.

The Process

“The process of acquiring artwork with Bluethumb is very much synergic. We found the collaboration to be engaging and comprehensive when sourcing appropriate pieces. Bluethumb was great at finding alternatives that suited our timeframe and advising us on additional processes of framing and installation. These additional components were administrated by Bluethumb and provided added assistance during the project.”

The abstraction of Karen Hammat’s Expect the Unexpected offers so much room for interpretation – a perfect piece for communal spaces at Melbourne Square.

The Outcome

The overall time taken from first contact to the artworks being chosen, framed and hung was five weeks. Work from best selling artist Dinah Wakefield, Karen Hammet, Kate Owen and photographer Tim Allen together formed the final curation of work that now sits proudly in Melbourne Square. “Tim Allen’s work is very captivating,” Catherine adds. “His pieces convey abstraction, with qualities of the haptic. There is a real sense of tactility when capturing the landscape.”

How incredible is this landscape? Tim Allen captures an alien-like vista from up above in this photograph from the Terra Firma series.

“The team at Fantastic Framing did an awesome job of getting all of the artwork framed and hung in such short notice,” Alexandra adds. “We couldn’t have been happier with their work.” Getting artworks wall-ready is just one of the features we take care of in trade projects.

Both teams chose ideal pops of colour against the neutral tones of the space throughout the curation. Featured: Night Blooms by Kate Owen

“As we had hoped, the selected pieces were successful in enhancing a sense of liveliness in the spaces,” Catherine says. “The curation of works introduced a further depth to the experiential qualities of the space. Both the client and our team were really pleased with the outcome.” Could we be seeing more of these two teams collaborating in the future? “Absolutely. Bypercent team were proactive and dedicated to finding the right pieces for the project and were very much involved in each stage of the process. Bluethumb’s co-operative efforts provided a sense of ease during procurement which ensured we met all specifications of the brief. Thanks again for all your help!”

Tim’s museum quality photographs are printed by Melbourne’s own Thirds Fine Art Printing.

Local Spaces, Local Artists

Projects such as these not only bring a sense of joy to those who experience the space first-hand; they also foster the talent of local, independent artists. Tim Allen, whose work was included in the project photographed the artwork once installed and saw the final outcome for himself. “The works were selected of separate series; it was interesting to see the selection as they all were similar in their design, however the subject was mixed. [It was] refreshing to see others see the connection between my series which have strong juxtaposition. Any artist knows that feeling of seeing their work on the wall. It’s a feeling that brings up the many creative highs and lows of a practising artist, a sweet reminder as to why you do it.”

Make the most of your project while supporting independent Australian artists – contact us here with your enquiry to get started.

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