Orange’s latest public art project has been installed.
The FutureCity Public Art project is a three-year program of murals and art installations, to be positioned on and near public and privately-owned buildings around the CBD.
‘Shadowline’, is a series of large golden spheres, positioned like push-pins on a map which trace the ancient path of a creek through the heart of Orange.
SHADOWLINE: Artists Lisa Jones and Julia Davis celebrate the installation of the first six golden spheres with Orange Regional Gallery director Bradley Hammond and Orange Mayor Jason Hamling.
Six spheres have been installed today. Another three, to be placed in Lords Place and Kite Street, will be installed once FutureCity footpath upgrades are completed. The concrete spheres, up to 750mm in diameter, are covered in gold leaf and protected by a highly abrasive resistant polyurethane coating.
Orange Mayor Jason Hamling said he was impressed by the latest public sculpture.
“Good art is always going be thought-provoking and this work certainly fits the bill,” Cr Jason Hamling said. “The FutureCity Public Art project is all about creating a CBD that is attractive and creating places that people will want to spend time in.”
“It’s fascinating to look along this meandering line of spheres and imagine the original line of Blackmans Creek before the underground channel was built.”
Orange Regional Gallery Director Brad Hammond welcomed the latest work.
“Shadowline encourages people to think about our environment in a new way,” Brad Hammond said. “By following the path of the original creek line, these spheres explore the deep-time history of this area in the heart of our community.”
“It invites us to re-think the history of Orange. The golden colours and reflections of the spheres will work beautifully with the seasonal changes throughout the year.”
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Shadowline is the work of artists Julia Davis and Lisa Jones.
Julia Davis and Lisa Jones are multidisciplinary artists who maintain independent practices and also collaborate on creative projects. Since 2009 their collaborative practice has reflected on transience and the embodiment of place.
“Referencing push-pins on a map Shadowline is a series of gilded, concrete spheres positioned to mark the original meandering path of Blackmans Creek between Orange Regional Gallery and Matthews Park. It references layers of natural, geological and human history, drawing our attention to Blackmans Creek in its altered continuation under our present-day parks, roads and footpaths,” Julia Davis said.
“The artworks function on two levels: as an expression of hope, optimism and wonder, and as a reference to the richness of the natural and cultural history of the region,” Lisa Jones said.
“The artworks will be animated by the passage of pedestrians, time of day and light condition. Gold has special reflective qualitites – generating unique irridescence – whether under direct sunlight, diffused overcast light or artificial lighting conditions.
“The artworks will invite people to slow down, look afresh at the sites they are walking through, and no doubt stimulate physical contact through touch by hand or underfoot.”
