Behind the St Kilda icon: An Interview with Matthew Johnson

Tell us about your relationship with Melbourne.

I was born in London and spent my youth growing up and going to art school in Sydney. A few of my peers had moved to Melbourne, so I’d often come down and hang out with them in St Kilda at places like the Espy. In 2000, my wife and I moved down to Melbourne, where rental properties were more affordable, and I had representation and established working relationships.

What was it like working with Pace and Jackson Clements Burrows Architects (JCB)?

Very hands-on. Everything was either done in-studio or with samples (not on a computer), from working with powder coaters and chemists to customising colours. JCB engaged me, and it was exciting for Pace. It was a project to make their mark and say, ‘Well, this is what we can do’.

What were some of the project challenges, and how did you overcome them?

Colouration. There were colours we couldn’t use at certain heights due to fixed rules around traffic lights, and some colours are more fugitive (fleeting) than others. We tested these mica titanium platelets to increase the lightfastness of the colours, so when light hits, it reflects without breaking down colour as quickly. We were pretty inventive.

You’d previously referred to your practice as relatively cyclical, was this true for the Icon apartment building and how?

My paintings often go from a sort of dark stratum to a light stratum, as if going through a series of elements. With the Icon, you’ll see colour filtered from the ground-up, starting with five singular colours broken down in vertical striation, dividing and defining how people were living in a space.

And finally, how do you feel that the Icon connects to the community today given how much St Kilda has transformed?

In my experience, St Kilda is playful. It’s a place where you can see a band, have a great chocolate Kugelhopf and a cup of coffee, and take kids to the pirate playground. And the Icon building is like a sculpture that holds this sense of playfulness, rather than some serious dialogue about interfacing cultural and social change within the neighbourhood.