Queensland company grows into global enterprise
The famous gold statues awarded at the Oscars are now being made by a company founded in Queensland. Urban Art Projects has grown into a global enterprise with its own foundry and a large industrial robot at its heart.
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00:00 Urban Arts Projects is a worldwide company founded right here in Brisbane by brothers
00:08 Matthew and Daniel Tobin.
00:10 The company helps artists make big ideas a reality.
00:14 So Owen, this is the main factory here in Brisbane.
00:17 How many people have you got working here at any one time?
00:19 Yeah, look, it can range from anywhere from 60 to 80 people, I suppose.
00:22 We have, depending on the projects that are on the floor at any one time, we bring additional
00:27 people in.
00:28 UAP is a global business.
00:30 In Australia we deliver a lot of work for Australian artists, but similarly we like
00:34 to try and take those artists overseas.
00:41 So it's a KUKA robot, it's a KR902700.
00:44 We've affectionately named it Marvin and its primary role is milling.
00:49 The hand is crucially important, whether it's the artist's hand or a pattern maker's hands
00:54 and a fabricator's hand in resolving that, but technology has allowed us to extend what's
00:59 possible.
01:00 So, Smithy, this is the foundry.
01:01 What are you guys pouring today?
01:02 We're doing a bronze pour today.
01:03 So as you can see, we've got some castings over here.
01:04 It varies, you know, we do aluminium and bronze, but it's a good day today because bronze is
01:05 a nice spectacle to look at.
01:06 It's nice and bright, so you'll get some nice, nice, nice, nice castings.
01:07 So, what are you guys pouring today?
01:08 We're doing a bronze pour today.
01:09 So, as you can see, we've got some castings over here.
01:10 It varies, you know, we do aluminium and bronze, but it's a good day today because bronze is
01:11 a nice spectacle to look at.
01:12 It's nice and bright, so you'll get some nice, nice, nice, nice castings.
01:38 One of the things that we do is we help make work for artists that's beyond the realms
01:42 of what they're able to do within their studios.
01:44 You know, some of our work is very, very large.
01:47 This is the biggest piece of artwork in the factory right now, the Aura Boris.
01:52 It's by artist Lindy Lee, and today, the guys are putting it together for the very first
01:57 time.
01:58 How satisfying is it when you see it come together, all the work you guys have done?
02:08 Very satisfying.
02:09 Yeah, I've put a lot of work and effort into it, and to see it come together pretty smoothly
02:14 is, yeah, it's all good, man.
02:17 A lot of the crafts, whilst coming from a traditional trade background, are then refined
02:22 and finessed because the work that we're doing isn't run-of-the-mill.
02:26 Very meticulous work.
02:29 It is time-consuming, yeah.
02:30 How much do you love it, though?
02:31 It's, like I said, for mine, I've never ever worked a day in my life.
02:32 It's always been a hobby.
02:33 [END]
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