Nestled in the leafy, riverside suburb of Yeronga and located a mere eight kilometres from Brisbane’s CBD, The Paint Factory has been operating from the former Taubmans site since 2015. Empty warehouses, abandoned offices and the disused paint laboratory sprawl across 6900 square metres set on a 3.5-hectare site. A winding, uneven, hilly concrete pathway meanders through the property and separates these multiple, spacious, light-filled buildings, which are juxtaposed with a verdant landscape and dotted with green, open spaces.
Now, instead of producing quality Australian paint, this iconic landmark has been reintegrated. Since its establishment, some of Australia’s most prestigious visual artists have taken up studio spaces at The Paint Factory, while the welcoming open areas are occupied by captivating sculpture works. Notably resplendent in its current location, The Ammonoid (Swell Sculpture Festival 2022) is an award-winning sculpture by Remo Vallance, a visual artist who specialises in site-specific sculpture and performance art installations.
Development Director, Paul Hey, is a man on a mission. He has a dream – a burning desire to reinvent the former Taubmans paint manufacturing plant into Australia’s first fully integrated arts precinct. Hey’s plans include, but are not limited to, artist-in-residence studios and residencies, art studios/residential apartments, a boutique microbrewery and wine bar, a coffee roastery and café, a pop-up fresh produce and artisan marketplace, a florist and boutique nursery, pop-up events and performance spaces and a visual arts gallery, to name just a few. His vision is indeed contagious!
Hey’s extremely well-researched ideas sound ambitious, but the potential to actually make these a reality is now dependent on the Brisbane City Council sanctioning his lodgement of a ‘Change of Use Application’ from industrial to mixed use zoning.
ArtsHub toured the grounds with this affable property owner/developer whose warm, welcoming generosity and knowledgeable commentary allowed for a clearer insight into the site’s potential he so enthusiastically envisions.
When asked how ‘mixed use zoning’ would benefit the future of The Paint Factory, Hey explains: ‘It’s a modern planning term for users – a return to a traditional village setting where everything happens within the one urban space (living, creating, working, relaxing) and all within a neighbourhood that shares common interests. The residential components are critical in bringing life and vitality to the site. Through density and built form, we should be able to create interesting indoor/outdoor spaces for residents and visitors alike.’
A long-time resident of Yeronga, Hey says he felt compelled to file this application motivated by his more than 20 years’ relationship with many of the artists, including Peter Bellas (retired art dealer) and Josh Milani (current owner of Milani Gallery). ‘It was always intended to attempt, at some stage, to do a modest project related to the permanent creation of art studios,’ says Hey. ‘The factors surrounding the original residential lodgement coupled with the unprecedented success and acquisition of works from several resident artists by national and international collectors, including The Tate Modern, convinced us that there was even greater potential for the future,’ he continues.
Initially, the idea to transform the former Taubmans site was premised on a ‘Change of Use’ to residential only. But the artists moved in virtually on day one of his taking over the property. For the interim and to take advantage of the space before the Brisbane City Council could formalise the residential approval, these artists established their studios wherever they wished.
Hey says, ‘Due to delays with council and their concerns about the loss of jobs from the original industrial zoning, a mixed use idea was conceptualised whereby we would utilise the artists as ongoing tenants as a part of a mixed use environment concept.’ The result was the eclectic mix of tenants who currently occupy The Paint Factory.
When it came to his vision for establishing the creative community, Hey says, ‘Our selection criteria has been through art contacts and by word of mouth via an amazing group of Brisbane creatives. We have not had to advertise, not once! As the village develops, the criteria will change and become more organised – probably by electing a community board.
‘Brisbane has an amazing creative ecosystem and community to draw from!’ he adds.
Waanyi visual artist Gordon Hookey is a core member of Brisbane-based Indigenous collective proppaNOW, alongside fellow artists Richard Bell, Vernon Ah Kee and Jennifer Herd, and has used spaces at The Paint Factory for several years. ArtsHub had the privilege of visiting Hookey’s studio, which is overflowing with an abundance of phenomenal paintings, sculptures and printmaking, works that reference historical and contemporary issues affecting First Nations peoples. Land rights, systemic racism, institutional violence, environmental destruction and human rights abuses are just some of the unflinching themes that abound in Hookey’s profound body of works.
Some eight years ago, the current space was offered to Hookey while he was working on Murriland! Canvas #1, which measures 10 by two metres. At the time he was working out of a much smaller four by four-metre space. ‘It was a no-brainer, as it was hard to get studio space in Brisbane. So a large space with a long wall was just what I needed to continue this work and to also create other large works, says Hookey.
Being among such an impressive, dynamic and eclectic list of artists who utilise the facilities has unparalleled benefits. ‘Having many artists here creates a wonderful community atmosphere. There’s the opportunity to share concepts/ideas and also to have honest critiques and discussions’ adds Hookey.
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He’s clear about the venue’s benefits and what he most appreciates about the space. ‘To have a workspace where I can come and go and leave things, and get back to them when I want. Also, the name of the precinct The Paint Factory is just so appropriate!’ he tells ArtsHub.
In line with Hey’s vision for multipurpose use and a hub for community-based activities, Project Immersive is an exciting addition. Guests are put to the test to solve some rather unique problems through story-driven escape rooms designed by a talented team of four who each have extensive experience in live entertainment, festivals, immersive theatre, escape rooms, games design and writing.
Damian Bowden explains his inspiration in establishing this immersive, unique story-driven experience. ‘There’s a team of four of us at Project Immersive, from very different professions, who came together with this idea during the COVID lockdowns. As the lockdowns started to lift, we discovered The Paint Factory. More specifically, the Lab area of the factory which has such an amazing industrial aesthetic. So you could say that creating this experience was a bit of a ‘right place, right time’ situation,’ he says.
Bowden has worked with escape rooms previously, while the other members of the team have experience in writing, theatre, film, software design, lighting, electronics and music. Being able to tap into their multifaceted creative flare has allowed the team to create a unique and more niche immersive experience, setting Project Immersive apart from its Brisbane competitors.
‘Our team comprises an incredible software engineer who has created interactive props with full lighting and sound effects, a writer who has written a fully bespoke story for the players and a theatre expert with theatrical experience from all over the world, who is able to deliver immersive theatre to enhance the games. Having all these elements come together allows our players a full-blown multi-level experience,’ explains Bowden.
Ultimately, The Paint Factory was the ideal choice – its aesthetically pleasing design and dramatic feel, and the fact that the venue is an old industrial complex, enhanced the feeling of “realness”.
‘We’ve had lots of players who describe our games with phrases like “it felt very real” and “this doesn’t feel like other games we’ve played before”,’ adds Bowden.
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Apart from The Paint Factory’s unique design aesthetics, Bowden finds the remarkable community the most appealing feature. He says that the artists who have their studios in The Paint Factory are genuinely friendly, and there is always something weird, wacky and extraordinarily creative happening that will inspire the creative process.
‘We aren’t traditional visual artists like many of the other artists here. So being able to have a peek into their world and their creative processes has enhanced our own creativity so much in the time that we’ve been here,’ says Bowden. ‘Actually we’re just a bunch of nerds at heart who like using Project Immersive as an excuse to create really cool things!’
To date, The Paint Factory has hosted artists and activities ranging from theatre to festivals and everything in between. It was selected as a filming location for the adaptation of Boy Swallows Universe by Brisbane writer Trent Dalton, been featured in music videos for artists including Brimstone, Cub Sport, Make Them Suffer, Jesswar, WAAX, Hope D, Creed Tha Kid and Nerve, been used for events as diverse as the Future Wave AW23 Streetwear Fashion Show, BrisStyle’s 2023 Earring Market, Brisbane Art Design (BAD) and the Brisbane Festival’s Brisbane Serenades, selected as the performance space for Polytoxic’s production Demolition (2021 Brisbane Festival) and will once again host the Anywhere Festival this year after being awarded Best Venue in 2023.
The successful hosting of multiple live theatre shows and musical performances has given The Paint Factory the invaluable opportunity to road test different options and how that translates into utilising the buildings and spaces in a very real way. The location is a ground-breaking concept for Brisbane and, judging from its input thus far, it will undoubtedly increase the scope and ambitions for local creative industries, while adding economically and culturally to the future of Brisbane.
Another highlight of ArtsHub’s visit is a brief visit to Judy Watson’s studio space. On the day, it is a hive of activity. Volunteers are busily preparing for a workshop with the Queensland Art Gallery to be held the following day in conjunction with Watson’s current exhibition mudunama kundana wandaraba jarribirri (translated as ‘tomorrow the tree grows stronger’) while simultaneously putting the finishing touches to works commissioned for the forthcoming NAIDOC Week celebrations.
Then, just as ArtsHub is leaving Watson’s studio, Richard Bell happens to stroll by with his dog in tow, stopping for a friendly chat and to confirm yet again that Hey’s vision of creating a vibrant arts community for The Paint Factory is already thriving here in Brisbane!
