I hadn’t seen this statue before the weekend when I stumbled across it at the southern end of South Bank’s Parklands. It was a recent present from the Ji’nan Municipal Government in the Shangdong Province of China to mark our 150th birthday.
My favourite Confucian saying: “Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart”.
See more of our posts on inner Brisbane public art.
The locals who seem to flock to this spot on most nights of the week treat this guy like one of their own, but few might know the origin of “The Goanna”.
Located on the corner of Russell and Boundary Streets since 1996 it’s pretty to hard to miss the cement fondue sculptured lizard. Helen Broadhurst and Joyce Watson, who created a number of permanent works for the city, are acknowledged for this one.
“Here’s to Wally Lewis for lacing on a boot.
Sometimes he plays it rugged, sometimes he plays it cute.
He slices through a backline like a Stradbroke Island shark
There’s glue on all his fingers, he’s the Emperor of Lang Park”
The song about our former rugby league great was a beer commercial I think. The stadium sponsor may be Suncorp but locals still call it Lang Park and this bronze statue of Wally Lewis welcomes visitors to the Caxton Street entry. Commissioned in 1992 by The Courier Mail, this landmark public art is hollow bronze and was designed by Art Buster.
This week’s 3rd State of Origin game will be another sell out with more than 50,000 raving fans. If only King Wally was still on the park…
I never considered myself an art lover. Sure there’s a handful of original paintings on the walls at home and a desire for some pieces I can’t afford in a gallery now and then. But recently I’ve started noticing Brisbane’s public art and its sculptures in particular.
This guy has really caught my imagination. Part kangaroo, part reindeer, part backpacker. He’s a mystery in welded stainless steel and right out the front of the Lexicon Apartments on the corner of Ann Street he’s a real head-turner.
Named “The Guardian” he’s the child of Queensland artist Cezary Stulgis and was created in 2008. Cezary’s certainly making his mark on the CBD’s streetscape. “The Passenger” (below) is another interesting piece, installed at the front of Willahra Tower.
photo courtesy www.CezaryStulgis.com
“Continous Division” is a huge steel sculpture crafted by South Australian Greg Johns. While a lot of the public art you see around Brisbane’s CBD has been commissioned by property developers required to contribute to our ‘cultural growth’, this piece is from Expo 88.
Commissioned for that amazing international event, it was part of the visual treat that greeted the the millions of visitors. Visitors who discovered a whole new Brisbane by coming to South Bank for the first time.
Today its home is the sleepy north-western corner of Roma Street Parklands. It may soon be the centre of activity again though, as the Premier last year announced a possible redevelopment of the adjacent rail yards, opening up opportunities for new residential development.
who am I?!
This public art sits quietly on the corner of Charlotte and Albert Streets outside the Sebel apartments. Sculpted by Grant Lehmann he/she is titled “Pride” and was installed by developers Mirvac on completion of the building in 1999, then known as “Brisbane Plaza”.
A shiny, tall streak he/she seems to be looking up at the growing Brisbane skyline. Obviously proud of what they see…
“Confluence” is a significant piece of CBD public art, crafted from concrete and aluminium plate by artist Daniel Templeman. It’s at the George Street forecourt of the Magistrate’s Court building.
Daniel says: “My design is about overcoming an obstacle, it is about an approach, the large curved form moves toward the L-shaped concrete form by building momentum on itself, it climbs and therefore has the presence to pass through the obstacle without destroying it.”
Standing more than 3.5m tall this is one seriously large piece of public art! Commissioned by the developers of Felix Apartments and completed in 2004, this shiny gent is aptly named “Felix” and is the product of local artist Terry Summers. BCC has a strong public art policy and works like this one, on the corner of Mary and Felix Streets, do brighten up our CBD streets.
Great public art doesn’t just happen. In Brisbane our Council requires developers of larger buildings to spend 0.25% of the project cost on public art. This can add up to a substantial amount.
The silver hands went up in front of 175 Eagle Street in 2002 and quickly saw the building nicknamed “Hopoate House”, a reference to an infamous rugby league player who kept putting his fingers where they weren’t wanted. The artist is a talented gent named Sebastian di Mauro and it’s titled “Chat”.
