Review: Spin Paint House Puts A Colorful Spin on Art Jamming with Pendulums and Trapezes at Kaki Bukit, Singapore
PUBLISHED November 1st, 2021 05:00 am | UPDATED July 22nd, 2024 05:26 pm
It’s a hard truth, but not all of us are blessed with artistic genius. I, for one, couldn’t paint my way out of a paper bag – or paint the paper bag, for that matter. So what do we artistically challenged folks do when we want to splash our stress away in colour? We put a little spin on our masterpieces over at Spin Paint House.
Housed in a far-flung industrial estate of Bedok, Spin Paint House is the equally Instagrammable sister concept of Splat Paint House. Whereas Splat has you declaring war on your canvas with squirt bottles and water guns, Spin Paint House gives your imagination a whirl with custom-built spinning tables, pendulums, and more.
Spin art isn’t just a zany way to play with paint – it’s got a few decades of avant-garde experimentation behind it. Abstract artists like Damien Hirst and Callen Schaub have swapped out brushes for spinning machines to create fluid, hypnotic paintings that swirl with psychedelic patterns. But for the average joe, it’s a fast track to letting loose – just sit back and let the laws of motion surprise you.
The spacious studio in Kaki Bukit is divided into around a dozen private booths, each accommodating one to two pax. For our 2 Pax Package (S$119++), we get two rectangular canvases and a pick of paint colours: eight regular, along with two premium hues like neon, glittery, and metallic. The paint used here is non-toxic tempera that’s thankfully low on chemical smell – unlike acrylic paint, it can easily be washed off with water. Protective aprons and shoe covers are provided free too.
Once we’re geared up, we’re given a quick tutorial on how to get spinning. The custom spin table features a hand crank for spinning the canvas at different speeds, which can result in anything from thick waves to fine spirals. We’re also taught how to use the pendulum – aka a squeeze bottle that can be hung upside down from carabiners and swung in circles.
Another hanging tool, the trapeze, works similarly but offers a bit more chaos – think a wooden box with one side open for paint to splatter from. Finally, there’s also a set of your usual painting tools: brushes and paint rollers, along with mixing cups and sticks.
We would have liked some sort of trial practice before being set loose to play – since each person only gets one canvas, there’s a bit of pressure not to make a complete mess. But hey, maybe that’s just the perfectionist in us talking. After a few timid attempts at swinging the pendulum, we quickly got the hang of spinning up concentric patterns.
From there, it was a short step to spraying thick streaks of paint and letting kinetic energy whirl them into splashes of colour. Once we let our vision of the ‘perfect’ masterpiece fly out the window, things got a whole lot more fun. As a finishing touch, we squirted a rainbow of colours into the trapeze, and let it splatter randomly over the canvas.
Each session is only one-and-a-half hours, and let’s just say the time spins by quickly. With private booths shielded by short walls, it’s easy to go ahead and make a glorious mess in a judgment-free space. Impressively, each booth also comes equipped with a ring light and phone mount for capturing those colourful moments – you can even tweak the lighting to your fancy, from fluorescent white to warm yellow. And if you haven’t had enough fun yet, go ahead and leave your handprint on the paint-splattered walls before you leave.
Spin Paint House is located at 61 Kaki Bukit Place, Printaid Building #04-00, Singapore 416233, p. +65 8163 0999. Open Wed-Fri 3pm–9pm, Sat 10am–9pm, Sun 10am–8pm. Closed Mon & Tues.
All photos courtesy of Alexis Yang
