I was never part of the ‘arty-farty set’.
Artists were an enigma to me. A strange breed with unfathomable talents.
This possibly stemmed from being in awe of my maternal grandfather Ernest Albert Bonney (1889-1981), a carpenter who was quite an accomplished Brisbane painter for his time.
The Gordon Park Queenslander my Poppa built himself became his personal suburban gallery and studio. The enclosed front sunroom always had his easel set up in the best light, ready for the moment inspiration struck.
Every spare centimetre of wall space was filled with homemade frames: the Red Centre colours of Ayers Rock (Uluru), the lavenders and blues of South Australia’s Flinders Ranges and delicate pink and red roses of his extensive garden.
I would wander the rooms, air-tracing over ‘E.A. Bonney’ in the bottom righthand corner of the pieces with my tiny index finger.
All the while, I felt somewhat of a family failure – barely able to draw a recognisable cat.
I avoided galleries for decades because I lacked practical skills and knowledge of the masters. I couldn’t even offer passing comment on what might constitute ‘good art’.
But gently, gently, I added to my art cred through my travels – wandering around an Andy Warhol touring exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art … watching Aboriginal dot painters at work in the Northern Territory … appreciating the beauty of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa in The Louvre, the sheer size of Rembrandt’s The Night Watch in Amsterdam’s Rijksmusuem and the hours of work behind a Rembrandt self-portrait in Florence’s Uffizi Gallery.
Without a skerrick of acrylic paint under the fingernails, I have come to realise that artworks can be enjoyed without fully understanding the process.
Any piece can ‘speak’ to the viewer.
So, the creative effort behind funky new art-infused Hotel Indigo Brisbane City Centre isn’t lost on me.
This Turbot Street wonder is unlike most CBD hotels that tend to blend into one another.
That’s because it puts Queensland artists on a pedestal and exudes colour, creativity and a sense of fun – from the hotel chain’s name to the interior and exterior walls and even functional assets such as lighting.
It sparkles without being flashy, is vibrant but far from glitzy, with another sweet curiosity or hard-to-miss artistic statement around every corner.
All Hotel Indigo properties draw inspiration from the local neighbourhood, culture and popular trends in food, drink and design. They act as a gateway to the city beyond the front doors.
But the hotel chain’s Brisbane property is next level: many of the fascinating and intricate paintings, sculptures and overhead installations reveal clues to little-known stories of the city and the eclectic characters who have shaped its history.
Guests are invited to peel away the layers of creative flair that have been sourced by specialist consultancy Artduo Australia.
They are taken on a journey by ‘following the dots’ around the hotel from one artwork to another.
So, rather than dumping my bags and exploring the greater city centre on arrival, as I normally would, my first instinct is to uncover the hotel’s own secrets and surprises.
The first artistic encounter occurs even before parking the car. The Port Cochere mural by Bronte Naylor and James Hornsby is a nod to what the Museum of Brisbane calls a local ‘titan’ of the suffragette movement: seamstress Emma Miller.
When she found herself widowed only two years after arriving in Brisbane with her young family in 1879, the English-born Emma – who was no stranger to attending political meetings, even as a child – became vocal in encouraging women to join the trade union movement.
She sought to stop the sweatshop conditions of the clothing industry and strive for better pay. Later, she turned her sights to electoral reforms.
Like many guests before me, I put myself in the picture by taking a selfie with Emma as a personal thanks, before walking past the graffiti-covered Tuk Nook coffee cart in the foyer and heading through the giant 6m high Alice In Wonderland-style red double doors to the lift.
These doors are the ‘steroids’ versions of the fairy doors that are popping up all over Brisbane, courtesy of street artist Mace Robertson, including the miniature red door in Burnett Lane (between George and Albert streets).
Looking up, I can’t miss Queensland artist Blends’ mural, inspired by Brisbane-based journalist-turned-author Trent Dalton’s award-winning book Boy Swallows Universe.
The ground floor lift lobby features the book’s signature blue wren, linking to a large-scale headturner that’s 16 storeys high on the side of the hotel’s exterior facade.
One floor up to the reception area, a new theme emerges.
As the hotel is close to the state courts system, the reception desk is illuminated from behind by key case numbers, positioned over a historical map of Brisbane, and complemented by cabinetry resembling legal filing furniture.
Nearby are hand-painted murals by Fuzeillear (Claire Matthews).
One highlights the escape of Jimmy the Bengal Tiger (the State Library of Queensland tells the story of Irish-born Charles Higgins’ Great Menagerie of Wild Performing Animals, that held daily shows from August 1888 in a big tent on the corner of George and Turbot streets, and what happened one fateful day while cages were being cleaned).
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The other tells of the ‘snail in a bottle’ court proceedings (a landmark Scottish court decision from 1932 that laid the foundation for the modern law of negligence in common law jurisdictions worldwide, leading to consumer protection laws).
Once checked in, my aesthetic journey continues from the lifts outside 1603 (a casual, contemporary speakeasy-inspired bar) through the corridors to the 212 rooms over six floors.
Butterfly motifs with hidden faces are everywhere in the style of the Blu Art Xinja (the man behind Brisbane’s blue invasion of playful figures on bridges, in laneways and up trees that aim to bridge the gap between graffiti and authorised public art).
More jaw-dropping awaits inside my top-floor Hidden Gem room with a floor-to-ceiling view to Mt Coot-tha.
The door opens to framed graffiti artwork by Rowena Martinich, and I discover that dots in circular patterns behind the bed magically reveal tiny butterflies after flicking the switch on light installations by James Middleton.
Back downstairs, modern Asian restaurant Izakaya Publico offers two dramatic hand-painted murals reaching six metres high: an ancient and modern-day Japanese samurai, as well as a chrysanthemum representing joy, longevity and rejuvenation.
Izakaya Publico’s dinner menu ensures the transition from palette to palate is just as inspiring, using locally sourced seasonal produce.
The dining experience begins with a filling bowl of edamame in slow-cooked brown butter, refreshingly balanced with house togarashi (Japanese chilli) and washed down with sips of Bunraku sake.
The knowledgeable waitress interprets each dish that follows: Chicken Katsu Sando in a tonkatsu sauce made from tomato, apple, prunes, dates, onions, carrots, celery and lemon juice with fried onion for crunch and salted slaw (possibly the world’s best chicken sandwich!); skewers of pork belly (with yuzu miso) and wagyu rump (with a Koji glaze); and melt-in-the-mouth Hokke – Japanese Atka mackerel, cooked over a charcoal grill with miso butter (so fresh we decide to ditch the chopsticks and eat with our hands).
Dessert is an unusual ice-cream sandwich using a choux bun.
Heading out of the hotel to walk off dinner, Fish Lane beckons from across pedestrian-friendly Victoria Bridge.
The laneway started out 150 years ago as Soda Water Lane (featuring an aerated water business), servicing the working docks of South Brisbane.
Despite being an important connection between the CBD, the Cultural Precinct, South Brisbane and West End, Fish Lane’s urban renewal missed the South Bank Parklands development after World Expo 88.
The bustling bars, restaurants, cafes, galleries, music and community events only began emerging after 2014 when Aria Property Group developed the Austin Apartments, heralding a new focus on retail and hospitality, landscaping and public art.
The fun vibe at Saccharimyces is heard before the hip crowd inside is glimpsed. But even before walking through the doors, the street murals simply beg to be photographed.
Marumba Kittibilla by Warraba Weatherall and Daniel Jones – a depiction of willy wagtail birds, a flowering kurrajong tree and stingless bee – is a celebration of cultural empowerment and a reminder of the Indigenous landscape.
Inspired by the 1967 Cream song, Samuel Tupou’s two-part banners – Sunshine of Your Love (Rise & Pine) – feature ‘pineapple heads’ ready for a night out on the town.
These diverse public installations and Hotel Indigo Brisbane City Centre give travellers access to something other English rockers, 10CC, once sang about: “Art for art’s sake”.
But more than accessibility, the works tell a story of Brisbane – one that encourages visitors to play detective to uncover more and enrich their tourism experience.
My overnight stay in the Brisbane CBD has certainly been an education.
I may be more comfortable painting word pictures but this brush with a new era in creative talent has been an intriguing art lesson – one that required no ability to draw a cat.
For more information or bookings, visit the hotel website.
To further pursue your education in art, go to the Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art in Stanley Place (South Bank Cultural Precinct) or visit the website.
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- The writer was a guest of Hotel Indigo Brisbane City Centre but paid for other expenses.
