POSTED: 06 FEBRUARY 2011

Melbourne's new home for artists and artisans*

A group of Melbourne’s most interesting artists, designers and bespoke artisans can now be found in one place — at the Compound Interest Centre for Applied Arts, a new independent artist-run venture that recently opened in a warehouse in the back streets of Collingwood.

The centre was established by designer Jeremy Wortsman to accommodate his two rapidly growing businesses — the Jacky Winter Group (JWG), an agency for Australian illustrators, and Lamington Drive, a curated gallery space designed to showcase JWG’s artists, both originally housed in George Street, Fitzroy. With an abundance of space available, Wortsman has been gradually co-opting designers, artists and small creative businesses from his considerable network to populate the space.

Now a thriving hub of creativity, the Compound Interest Centre is currently home to two galleries, a vintage motorcycle restorer, a boutique letterpress printer, a bespoke framer and several design, web and graphic studios. It will also soon house a new bar, café and a cinema.

Highlights include:

Lamington Drive (gallery, retail space) — The rotating stable of talent on display on the recycled cardboard walls of Lamington Drive includes Oslo Davis, Eamo, Kat McLeod and Beci Orpin, all highly talented up-and-coming stars with a dedicated followings amongst Australia’s underground arts community. The new premises incorporate an expanded retail area which features eye-catching prints by JWG artists as well as a growing number of independently published art books, including those released by Lamington Drive’s new publishing arm.

Speakeasy Cinema — A cross between a big-screen movie house, a ‘dive bar’, a café and a creative studio, Speakeasy Cinema screens a program focused on weird, wonderful and hard-to-find films. In the vaudeville spirit of the speakeasy, events are multi-faceted, with spotlight appearances from directors, in-house exhibitions, curated shorts programs before each feature, as well as plenty of opportunity to enjoy drinks and stimulating conversation. Currently operating at a temporary space also in Collingwood, Speakeasy Cinema will move into its Compound home in the first half of 2011.

PINUP (multi-form exhibition space) — Due to open on 10 March, PINUP is an independently curated exhibition space focusing on architecture and design. Taking its name from a studio approach — where designers ‘pin up’ work as part of the design process — its envisaged that the new gallery will eventually also include retail and studio spaces and host special events.

Idlewild Press (artisan printer) — Formerly housed in the Nicholas Building, Idlewild Press is run by Carolyn Fraser, an artisan letterpress printer who produces fine books, custom stationary and other ephemera for discerning clients. The standard printing method until the mid-20th century, letterpress is a highly skilled hands-on craft that became obsolete due to technological developments in the efficiency-focused commercial printing industry. As well as its studio work, Carolyn conducts regular printing workshops.

Modern Motor Cycle Company (bespoke motorcycle builder) — The Modern Motor Cycle Company rebuilds motorbikes from the 1960s and 1970s (mainly Japanese models), a golden era when bike design evolved to a high standard of reliability and functionality while still retaining a simple elegance as one of the most stylish forms of transportation, turning them into something vastly different to what originally rolled off the assembly line all those years ago. Bikes in need of a little ‘TLC’ are stripped of unnecessary components, repaired, modified and customised to customer’s individual specifications. Even if not in the market for a bike, don’t miss a visit to this atmospheric workshop to check out the stripped back bike frames displayed like sculptures throughout the space.

*Based on media release supplied by Compound Interest Centre for Applied Arts.

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