Art Series | The Stories Behind Iconic Masterpieces at 130 Little Collins
20/10/2024
Artistry Showcased | Art commissions by Golden Age Group
Artistry plays a pivotal role in enriching Golden Age Group’s development at 130 Little Collins Street, with 11 commissions featuring unique works in canvas, stone, and paper sculpture. The collection includes contributions from both local and international artists, each bringing their distinctive styles to enhance the state-of-the-art fit-out of the overall development.
Melbourne commissions include works by Nick Thomm and Steven John Clark, plus international works by Aurel K Basedow, Ian Rayer Smith and Peter Gentenaar. Each commission provides a meaningful complement to the architectural elegance of the overall building design by Cox Architecture, with interiors by Hecker Guthrie. The original sculptures and paintings forge a deep connection with the Melbourne community, and bolster the cultural and economic vitality of the development. This strategic integration ensures that the development stands as a testament to Melbourne’s artistic and architectural excellence.
Full Artist Biographies
Peter Gentenaar (Netherlands)
Peter Gentenaar is a renowned Dutch paper artist celebrated for his ethereal sculptures crafted from handmade paper. Born in 1946 in Leidschendam, Gentenaar studied printmaking and sculpture at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague.
His sculptures, inspired by the organic forms of nature—plants, flowers, and aquatic life—are characterized by their unpredictable fluid shapes. Gentenaar’s unique pulp drying process allows the paper to shrink and mould around bamboo frames, creating intricate three-dimensional forms that seem to float in the air.
Exhibiting globally, his works have been showcased in notable venues like the Royal Palace in Amsterdam. Gentenaar’s innovative art also intersects with fashion and design, collaborating with figures like Iris van Herpen.
Steven John Clark (Melbourne, Australia)
Steven John Clark founded his Melbourne-based studio denHolm, in 2016, where he creates sculptural furniture that elegantly blurs the boundaries between art and design. With a background in stonemasonry, Clark draws inspiration from diverse fields such as architecture, fashion, art, literature, and the everyday. He employs conventional materials and techniques in innovative ways, merging them into unique, unconventional designs.
Clark’s journey to establishing denHolm was anything but traditional, weaving through stonemasonry, embroidery, football, and sculpture. This eclectic path has enriched his approach as he sculpts bespoke pieces which rely on his spatial intuition and embody an organic and ethereal fluidity.
Ian Rayer Smith (Manchester, UK)
Ian Rayer Smith is an English painter whose work draws inspiration from both the Old Masters and contemporary culture. He aims to create paintings that deliver powerful emotional impact, emphasizing the viewer’s experience over mere representation. Ian’s art merges influence from Abstract Expressionism and the Renaissance, blending emotional rawness with timeless elements of composition, light, and movement.
Infusing a classical essence into his creations, Ian explores new visual paths shaped by personal experiences and cultural context. He views painting as a dynamic dialogue rather than a static narrative, using imagery as a launching point for deeper exploration. His process poses questions that invite reflection, reflecting a continuous search for meaning and connection.
Believing that art transcends verbal language, Ian revels in the joy of visual expression, a fundamental urge that has connected humanity throughout history. His work serves as a profound exploration of the human experience, inviting viewers to share in the depth of emotion and insight.
Aurel K Basedow (Como, Italy)
Aurel K. Basedow is co-founder of Draga & Aurel, a multidisciplinary creative studio established in Italy in 2007 alongside Draga Obradovic. Renowned for their innovative approach to art, collectible design, and furnishings, the duo blends original methods with a deep artistic understanding of materials and composition. Pioneers in the upcycling movement, they began by reinventing vintage furniture, launching their acclaimed Deshabillé and Heritage collections.
Their journey gained momentum with a notable debut at Milano Design Week in 2009, leading to collaborations with prestigious furniture brands such as Baxter, Wall&Deco, Visionnaire, and Poltrona Frau. In 2019, Aurel showcased the striking Transparency Matters collection, which explores light and colour through transparency, further solidifying their reputation in the design world.
At Draga & Aurel, Aurel’s artistic vision converges with design, creating powerful and poetic works that challenge traditional boundaries, ultimately enriching both fields in a dynamic exchange of ideas.
Nick Thomm (Melbourne / Los Angeles)
Nick Thomm is an Australian Artist living and working in Los Angeles, known for his large scale, hyper-colour Spectral Paintings and immersive projection installations.
Through his work Thomm explores modern colour systems, abstract image construction, and the merge of traditional art with technology, resulting in a hypnotic combination of form and colour.
Thomm’s paintings have been exhibited at prominent international Museums and Galleries, including the ‘New Museum’ in New York, the ‘Moco Museum’ in Barcelona, and ‘The National Gallery of Victoria’ in Melbourne.
His commissioned works notably include multiple artworks for the LVMH collection, Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. A three-story video wall on Oxford Street, London, in partnership with W1 Curates. The ‘Storm Artura’ supercar design for McLaren at the Miami F1 Grand Prix, a large-scale mural created for Miley Cyrus in her Los Angeles home, and numerous other projects.
Thomm also maintains a second studio location in Melbourne, Australia.
