i love my shop
MEET THE CREATIVE COUPLE BEHIND THAT PAPER JOINT: A TINY SPACE FOR LOVERS OF COLLAGE.
Where is it? 544 Sydney Road, Brunswick, Victoria.
Describe That Paper Joint in a sentence. Zoe Crook: We’re Melbourne’s dedicated collage studio, workshop and gallery space, with the aim ‘to join people through paper’.
What goes on there? Maximillian Malone: We assemble collage packs for people to use at home. We also run a variety of ‘Cut & Paste’ collage sessions, for both adults and kids. You can rent our studio for your own private function or events, and we exhibit local artists in the gallery space. On top of that, we offer a range of design services within the world of visual art and graphic design.
What’s the story behind the shop? ZC: Max and I live and work here, so naturally That Paper Joint has become an extension of ourselves, our interests and passions. We both come from design and hospitality backgrounds; we love to take care of people and make them feel welcome. MM: It’s been a dream for 10 years to have a shop-fronted home studio. I started to take it more seriously during last year’s lockdown. I didn’t want to look back in another 10 years time and think, “What if?”
What went into decorating the space? MM: The building used to be a medical clinic (with some rather dodgy history!). As soon as we got the keys, I gathered some mates for a demolition party. We knocked down walls to make use of the incredibly tall ceilings. Once it was gutted, we found a brilliant local craftsman (Adam Ascenzo from Exzibit Design) to create our double-sided bookcase/room divider and front desk (all in one).
Why are you passionate about sharing the art of collage? MM: I’ve always been into collage and it’s something I think I’ll always do. To be able to invite the community into this studio, and to share this passion, is such a cool feeling. There’s so much potential with collage; I love that no matter your creative skill, ability or background, you can always make something fascinating with found imagery.
Tell us about your paper donation scheme. MM: If you have a handful, boxful or truckload of materials, you can jump onto our website, fill out the form on the donations page and let us know. We’ve already received some amazing materials including books, magazines, postcards, playing cards, paper scraps, birthday cards, pianola rolls and many other great treasures. ZC: Sometimes these items don’t have monetary value, or people don’t have the time or means to sell them, so giving them to someone like us to repurpose makes parting with them easier. Everything we do here is underpinned by our desire to reuse, repurpose and reimagine. We absolutely love that we can give people’s previously loved items a second lease on life.
How do you want people to feel when they visit? MM: I want them to walk in and sense our passion and energy. A bonus will be if they leave feeling invigorated to continue to test out their ideas and artistic potential. We don’t want to give off any aura of exclusivity. It’s very important that everyone feels welcome, regardless of background. When I was much younger, I was told that an artist is not a special kind of person, but that “every person is a special kind of artist”, which made a big impact on me.
What are your plans for the future? ZC: We don’t want to jinx anything at this early stage! We mainly look forward to hosting a variety of different workshops, showcasing a range of artists and collaborating as much as possible.
Where can we see more? Online at thatpaperjoint.com or on Instagram at @thatpaperjoint.