MELBOURNE CREATIVES: #01 - JACKSON MOLLOY (@Melbourneinabox)
Hi folks, something a bit different this week. I thought I'd try and get into the minds of some of the creative folk that help make Melbourne such a special city. Hopefully you noted the #01, yes, double digits, that's how optimistic I am that I'll be able to find at least 9 other people to interview.
The first subject of this interview series is Jackson Molloy. Jackson reached out to me a number of years ago to include my Hoddle Grid map in his 'Melbourne in a Box' boxes, a curated gift box that beautifully represents our part of the world. I've been following his Instagram @melbourneinabox, and it constantly feeds me with inspiration, so I thought I'd ask some questions about what inspires him.
AM: Your expertise is in bringing together products from creative Melburnians. What is it about Melbourne that inspires artists in such a way?
JM: I think we’re inspired by the city. Despite the cliche, Melbourne is a melting pot. There are over 233 different languages spoken in Melbourne and over 116 different faiths. You can eat around the world in a day from Italian on Lygon street to Korean on Koorang road. You can see street art in Hosier lane and go to the National Gallery just a short walk away. You can see the immigrant museum and then take a tram to Merri Creek (Northcote) where the Batman Treaty was possibly signed. The list goes on.
AM: From your web site I can see that you moved to Melbourne during uni. Can you still remember your first impressions of the city?
JM: Definitely. I felt like I was at home for the first time in my life. I moved around a lot when I was younger and Melbourne felt like it was the combination of all the places I had lived rolled into one.
I was born in Newcastle and lived there for six years then moved to Cairns and had six years there as well. From Cairns, we moved to Malta and then Spain, spending four years in both.
AM: What do you find the most rewarding aspect of curating such creative marvels?
JM: I just think Melbourne is just full of incredible talent everywhere you look. I love sharing it and the whole process that comes along with it. From collaborations and making new friends to seeing our ideas come to life and the reactions people have to it.
AM: Looking at the Melbourneinabox instagram there’s some Melbourne “icons” (avocado, tram, etc), that feature throughout. Tell me about the inspiration behind these icons.
JM: Ellen Portues is the superstar behind our logo! We worked with Ellen to figure out what kind of different things represent Melbourne to a local, a tourist or really anyone else. It’s tricky coming up with just a few icons to reflect a city, let alone one as diverse as Melbourne, but Ellen is simply incredible and came up with something that covers a whole range of different bases.
AM: If you had friends visiting Melbourne for the day, where would you take them to showcase the city?
JM: I actually get asked this question a lot and I always find it really difficult to answer. But I would always recommend doing a walking tour to start the day. One of my favourites is @localguidemelb. A tour like this will cover so many different topics of Melbourne from history to sports, coffee to comedy and heaps more. Matthew is hilarious but he is also like a Google specifically set to Melbourne themes. If there is something you want to explore after the tour, something you want to learn more about from the tour or just want somewhere to go get a drink and take a fun selfie, he will have you covered!
But to answer your question, I think first we would go to Homie in Fitzroy and get them some more clothes because we all know what Melbourne weather can do. Plus, I dare say they would want to stay for longer than a day; there is so much just within Hoddle grid let alone outer Melbourne.
AM: Challenge Task: Write a sentence that to Melburnians makes perfect sense, but to anyone else is pure gibberish.
JM: “I hope we’re still in the free tram zone, that Mate over there looks ready to bust me for not touching on.”
AM: There’s some fantastic public transport themed items you showcase. Why do you think Melburnians have such a passion and almost ownership of the city’s PT?
JM: It’s just iconic. No matter how you look at it, from a visual aspect the green and yellow of our trams, a historical aspect and all the weird and wonderful stories that intertwine between in all like the possible mix up of Flinders Street Station being meant for Mumbai or the fact that we have the largest tram network in the world.
AM: There’s a perception of a cultural divide between north and south of the Yarra. Do you think one exists?
JM: I think divide is a strong word. I wouldn’t say that there is a “division” at all but there’s always going to be differences on both sides of any imaginary line we draw.
AM: Melbourne has such a huge range of visual art on offer, where are some of the hotspots to take some of it in?
JM: There’s the obvious laneways and things but they are so ephemeral you just need to keep an eye out every time you leave the house and try to take a different route when you can. I’d recommend that people go to more galleries like @honeybonesgallery, @bside.gallery, @m.i.l.k.b.a.r. and @thestockroomgallery.
Make sure to keep an eye on Milk Bar, they have recently moved to a new space and I’ve been lucky enough to see some behind the scenes of their ‘VS Gallery’ plus a few other goodies they’re working on and it will blow everyone away once it’s open!
AM: Post COVID, in the ideal scenario where we can explore our city once more, do you think Melburnians will have a newfound appreciation of the city? In what ways do you hope to see Melburnians engage with their city?
JM: I think we’re already seeing it and it’s really encouraging for what’s on the other side of everything. I think we can already see more emphasis on local support from people buying groceries at what used to be their favourite cafe to getting hand made masks with prints made from local designers. It has been great to watch and I would love to see it continue.
You can find Jackson's terrific instagram page here:
https://www.instagram.com/melbourneinabox/