For the last couple of weeks we have been learning about how public art tells a story. In the coming weeks, we are planning to visit the Moreland City Council (Merri-bek) offices to talk with Mayor Mark and the public arts officer. We are hoping to learn more about the decision-making process that the council follows when deciding which stories to tell through public art.
Public art is basically where people are showing what is around us and what’s important in our community. (Alina).
Ayshe: Why do people make public art?
Ayshe: A lot of the time people do public art to represent a message. For example, there was one I saw when I went on a ‘public art’ expedition with my Mum. It was of an Aboriginal child watching the asteroid hit Earth that wiped out the dinosaurs. In the reflection in the eyes of the child it showed Earth with a big explosion happening. I think the message was saying that Aboriginal were here way before us.
Evie H: I think people make public art to sort of tell a story without words. Each piece of public art represents a message people should probably listen to. The ‘rolling path’ piece of art represents to me that if we don’t stop making building, cities and putting in concrete paths that we should try to appreciate the nature around us and not destroy it.
Mia: I think public art is a way to express people’s emotions and feelings without using words.
Hattie: How does public art contribute to our community?
E: I think public art contributes to our community because if we didn’t have it, people who are artists wouldn’t be able to share their experience, their point of view and what they think is best for this world.
Gigi: Public art helps the community feel happy, seeing that people are taking a stand against things that are wrong or shouldn’t be happening such as the ‘rolling path’ artwork. It helps make new memories and change the world.
Alex S: Why was public art invented?
Isaiah: The reason people make public art is to impress people. I want to know why there isn’t enough public art? Why isn’t it on every public toilet? How do we decide where public art is installed?
E: I think public art was invented because art probably was invented before that and some artists were probably like ‘why is our art now public or in the street to show how we express ourselves?’ Maybe that’s how it was invented.
Warrick: Is there a connection between public art and belonging?
Huon: I think the connection is that art can make people feel happy and like they belong somewhere. They can see the emotions and style of the art.
Ayshe: On Saxon Lane, there’s a sculpture of a rope. We went on the council website and we read that the different strands on the rope were meant to represent different people in the community coming together to make a strong rope.
Wilco: The strands of the rope represent our inquiry ‘together we are stronger’.
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