Author Description

Bakehouse Studios in Richmond is a Melbourne music landmark. Around 400 musicians pass through their rehearsal rooms every week, from solo singer-songwriters and kids having their first jam, to grassroots local regulars and a diverse array of international touring artists, from Tool to Missy Higgins, Olivia Newton-John to Beck, Cat Power to The Cat Empire, and The Smashing Pumpkins to Judas Priest. Elvis Costello described Bakehouse as having 'some of the best rooms in the world'. In October 2013, as a tribute to the passing of Lou Reed, Bakehouse pasted up two giant rock posters on the front of their iconic studios. With up to one million motorists driving past every week, owners Helen Marcou and Quincy McLean received an overwhelming and emotional response to the work, inspiring them to make the wall a permanent exhibition space. The project sparked a new idea- visual artist friends were invited to re-imagine the interiors with immersive installations in the old rehearsal rooms. This is believed to be a world-first project, where the art inspires and connects musicians in a working studio outside of the regular confines of a gallery. Artists such as Patricia Piccinini, Julia deVille, Mick Turner, Stewart Russell and the Hotham Street Ladies have completely transformed these rehearsal spaces, and created a series of unforgettable paste-ups. From the lyrical to the audacious, this book documents and celebrates a year of art at Bakehouse.