If you’ve taken a walk around Central Geelong recently, you might have noticed some spectacular new street art popping up in and around the city.
The work, created by 19 women street artists as part of our $150,000 Women’s Street Art Commission Project, is designed to not only bring colour and vibrancy to our city centre, but also to increase the representation of women in street art.
As part of her commission, Parisian-born artist Lucy Lucy transformed the white walls of Crest Dry Cleaning, near the corner of Ryrie and Union streets.
Lucy Lucy immigrated to Australia in 2006 and has painted murals and exhibited internationally, with her work featured in France, Australia, Canada, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
She spent days creating her piece, which features a woman in a jumpsuit with purple hair lounging amongst a bed of vines and leaves.
Lucy Lucy:
I wanted to show that we’re all symbolically connected to nature and are part of a fragile world, even if we sometimes forget it.
It’s always a privilege to work on a major street art project, but it’s unique to work on a commission project that involves so many talented women.
I hope we’ve left a wonderful legacy for Geelong and brought more colour and life to the city.
Another street artist, Greater Geelong local Kerrie Poliness, was given the job of transforming a 45-metre grey wall at Minns Lane.
Her abstract artwork was inspired by jazz music and an artistic style she has honed while drawing at low-tide on the back-beach between Point Lonsdale and Ocean Grove over the past 25 years.
Kerrie Poliness:
The laneway was a venue for free live concerts hosted by the Piano Bar in between COVID-19 lockdowns.
My artwork considers the laneway as a live venue – where the artwork becomes a backdrop for performance – and the use of the laneway as the main entrance to the club now that events have returned indoors.
As groups of people gather in the laneway before entering the club, they listen to music from inside, talk, dance, and mingle. Like this activity, I wanted the artwork to be vibrant and colourful and bring the wall to life.
Deputy Mayor Trent Sullivan (Chair, Creative Communities and Culture portfolio):
The devastating impact of the pandemic on Geelong’s artistic community was a central consideration in the decision to fund such a large-scale commission project.
It’s been such a bleak time for so many people, so to come out of it with a project focused on colour, pride and creativity is just amazing
Whether you’re having wine and cheese on Malop Street, picnicking in Johnstone Park, or seeing a show at one of our fabulous theatres, you’ll be able to spot plenty of unique new art works from these talented women.
