MELBOURNE

I have just returned from an exciting and stimulating couple of weeks 'down south'. Melbourne sure is the place for great architectural design and creative civil engineering. A big thumbs up for the forward thinking professionals responsible. The sad part is that Melbournians take their creative built environment for granted and don't marvel at the visual tapestry surrounding them.

I have dozens of pics to post when relevent, but will start with a favourite few.

This fabulous 'structure' is on the new linkway between King Way and the West Gate bridge.

Part of the Federation Square & Ian Potter Gallery complex.

 

... as seen in the hallway of the fabulous old Nicholson Building, off Cathedral Arcade, 37 Swanston St.,- a precinct for creative, slightly 'grunge' artistic activity - production, exhibition, retail - operates a bit like a co-operative.

A little alley off Degraves Place [the lovely little eatery alleyway]. Don't know what was going on, but the locals had certainly made it 'their place'.

Elemental Labyrinth - Mackay

Recently Fiona and I travelled to Mackay to check out the Libris Awards for artists' books; and the Mackay Artspace Gallery as well.

Because of my involvement in ArtSite and placemaking more generally I am more and more on the look out for what artists are doing in their communities to tell the stories of community or add new stories to the spaces in the community.

In the grounds just adjacent to the entry to the Mackay Artspace Gallery there is a placemaking piece called The Elemental Labyrinth by Jill Chism. She says the labyrinth with its 8 elements is a metaphor for life.



The first couple of photos show the labyrinth nestled into the grass; and a bit of the detail of the entry and centre.



The photos above show a couple of the 8 elemental words words the artist has worked into the edges of the labyrinth path as it moves from the entry to the centre.

I felt the artist had created a quiet space to sit and be still and peaceful; but it also provides an opportunity to think about what underpins our lives.

...seen on the beach on Bruny Island

How is this for a lovely piece of ephemeral public art?

My Bruny Island [Tasmania] friends, Sandra and Richard, came across these two on their morning walk. The shadows add a wonderful third element to the composition. 

Geelong Foreshore

The City of Geelong on Corio Bay just west of Melbourne has the most wonderful  array of interesting sculptural bollards and installations. You can stroll for kilomoters along the foreshore, enjoying the characters and historical maritime references.

...not a good advertisement for 'placemaking' as such, because there were not a lot of people on the forshore. The day before I took these pics, Geelong had won the Footy grand final, so the whole town was in pubs and cafes celebrating, or else nursing hangovers!!

Noosa 'Floating Land' exhibition, 2009

This was a fabulous ephemeral exhibition - a really good model for something we could do in Maleny and beyond to complement a festival or event. Finding an 'art work' in a common place setting rather than a gallery makes it more accessible and spontaneous for the public - taking the art to the people rather than the people to the art. We have a writer's festival, a wood expo, the Great walks festival, the list goes on ...lots of opportunities to be creative within a public genre.