RESPECT, RECOGNITION AND RECONCILIATION FOR KINGS SQUARE ART

Fremantle Council’s Strategic Planning and Transport Committee has given in principle support to a public artwork in Kings Square that interprets Fremantle’s colonial past and WA’s Nyoongar culture.

The interpretive concept Respect, Recognition and Reconciliation by highly regarded artists Sharyn Egan and Simon Gilby integrates the location of the original St John’s Church with a ring of 14 large stones representing Western Australia’s 14 Nyoongar clans.

The location, size and orientation of the former church will be interpreted using selected textures and materials in the pavement, and a brass plaque made in the 1980s to explain the location of the church will be reinstated on the site.

The stones would be sought from traditional owners from each of the 14 Nyoongar clans from Geraldton to Esperance and with their consent would be transported to Fremantle for final installation.

Visitors would be able to see a video with stories from the Elders of each clan when they hold their phone against each stone.

The idea is for this artwork to be less about a traditional, European sculpture and more about connection to country, relationships and reconciliation.

The concept also includes depicting the Nyoongar night sky in hundreds of LED up-lights, which will look spectacular a night time, and the capacity to house a ceremonial fire vessel the City is commissioning to use at smoking ceremonies and other important events.

The artwork has been proposed as an alternative to the ‘Windows to the Past’ concept that was previously being explored for Kings Square.

The ‘Windows to the Past’ concept was to excavate and display the footings of the former St John’s Church through a window in the pavement, but archaeological investigations revealed the remnants of the church were not in good condition and would require substantial reconstruction.

The original St John’s Church was a modest limestone building with a timber shingle roof in the middle of Kings Square. The foundation stone was laid on 6 April 1842 and it opened 4 August 1843.

GILBY’S SALT ART AT BATHERS BEACH

 

The gorgeous Simon Gilby sculpture made out of salt for the Sculpture@Bathers exhibition in March has slowly been eroded by waves, wind and rain, and this morning looked rather forlorn in the wild Indian Ocean at Bathers Beach.

I love art that changes because of nature and the environment. Simon Gilby’s work was one of my favourites at the Fremantle sculpture exhibition that showed we have an abundance of amazing creative talent in Western Australia.

Roel Loopers

SIMON GILBY’S VULNERABLE ART AT BATHERS

Simon Gilby‘s sculpture Entitlement, made out of salt, is my favourite artwork at Sculpture@Bathers, because it was specifically made to allow the elements to take control and slowly ‘undress’ is back to a mere skeleton. The lonely white figure standing on a man-made ‘island’ in the Indian Ocean is imposing and intriguing, but it is also so very vulnerable that I want to go over and hug it.

It has now lost both legs and one arm and not even the artist knows how long it will last until it crumbles and will fall apart into small mounts of salt. Go and have a look asap before it has disappeared. You can get close to it at the start of the South Mole opposite Challenger TAFE or view it from the beach.

Roel Loopers

GREAT SALT ART AT SCULPTURE@BATHERS

I love Simon Gilby’s sculpture made out of salt at SCULPTURE@BATHERS. It is meant to react to the elements, and water, wind and salt corrosion will slowly make it disappear and only its skeleton will remain.

The weather came in sooner than Simon might have hoped for so the decay was quite visible this morning, but it makes it fascinating and intriguing to look at. Small mounts of salt underneath it take it back to how it all began.

It’s nice to see an artist not just wanting a commercial return for his work but simply exploring new creative avenues for his art. Great work, Simon!

The S@B show is on at Fremantle’s Bathers Beach till March 29 but Gilby’s work might not last the distance, so go and see it soon. It is very close to the South Mole.

Roel Loopers

SALT SCULPTURE AT BATHERS BEACH

Simon Gilby is an amazing artist and an amazingly nice bloke for someone so successful. You can see his public art all over Perth and he has exhibited extensively. Simon’s work was put up on a small ‘island’ in Bathers Bay this morning as part of SCULPTURE@BATHERS.

The work is made out of salt and intended to deteriorate when wind, water and sea salt attack it, and that might be much earlier than hoped for with very bad weather forecast for Sunday. Don’t miss it though! A good vantage point is just at the start of the South Mole opposite Challenger TAFE.

S@B starts this weekend and runs till March 29.

Roel Loopers