I was commissioned by the City Renewal Authority to create artworks for projection on the Sydney and Melbourne Buildings in Canberra for the Enlighten Festival, 28 Feb- 15 March 2020. I created two new works specifically for the project extending on the visual language from my Canberra Journeys series 2019 to include new symbols of gratitude and hope that respond to 2020 Bushfire Emergency and the urgent need for climate repair. These art works utilise contemporary symbols referencing personal and collective local memories, incorporating symbols of the local community, diversity, architecture, environment, emergency services and renewable energy sources. Symbols have multiple references. For example the:
Hexagon shape: is used alone and in a pattern - referencing the geometry of the Marion Mahoney and Walter Burley Griffin 1911 Plans for Canberra, specifically the city centre; the interconnected structure of a beehive - a metaphor of the interconnected Canberra community and a pattern created from a symbol of wind turbines - representing the hope renewable energy can bring
Drop shape- a tracing from the Griffin plans also represents much needed rain, with the forms inside being Canberra’s broken yet resilient heart
Radiating circles and fans: Energy- community action, solar powered futures and Canberra’s art deco buildings.
Pinwheel: a symbol of celebration and movement, and a reference to ‘turning luck around’, conveying good luck to the people of Canberra.
Patterns from local suburban architecture - like the 1960s breeze blocks and the art deco buildings from Canberra’s inception.
The black calligraphic pattern - reminiscent of burnt trees, is a tracing of ‘Auslan’ for thankyou - to our emergency services personnel
