An artist’s impression of how the Ravensthorpe sculpture will look. Photo: Gondwana Link
Ravensthorpe’s cultural precinct is to acquire a permanent new outdoor sculpture combining a physical structure in the form of a flower with extra augmented reality elements visible on portable devices.
Project manager Roger Erith said a special component of the Ravensthorpe sculpture would be the inclusion of eleven exterior artworks created by Ravensthorpe District High School students.
“In addition to a physical sculpture, a captivating digital Augmented Reality (AR) sculpture experienced via smart phones and tablets will connect viewers online to more comprehensive information on deep time and ecology,” he said.
Art Collaboration
The work is to be part of The Gondwana Link trail, which is the creative concept of Noongar elder Carol Petterson and artist Ben Beeton.
Shire chief executive Matt Bird told council the “Genestreams” sculptures brought together traditional Indigenous knowledge and Western science to tell the story of the ecology of south-western Australia and its evolution over time.
“Each Genestreams sculpture will be a unique and innovative collaborative effort with lead artists Ben Beeton and Mali Moir working closely with several members of the Ravensthorpe Herbarium Group for specimens to illustrate while other community members contributed pieces of their own artwork to be placed on the sculpture,” he wrote.
“The sculpture trail will consist of physical and augmented realty sculptures in four locations.”
These were at Northcliffe, Denmark, Bremer Bay and Ravensthorpe, with augmented realty sculptures in Kings Park, Capel, Kondinin, and Kellerberrin, and existing physical sculpture at Twin Creeks, north of Porongurup.
“Each sculpture comprises multiple artworks brought together in a cross-cultural approach that tells the ‘deep time’ story of why south-western Australia is such a globally significant place – both for the age of its Noongar cultures and its ecological richness,” Mr Bird wrote.
Costs
The organisation Gondwana Link has a Lotterywest grant of $573,000, of which it may use up to $10,000 for the Ravensthorpe sculpture.
The Shire has budgeted $10,000 for the sculpture and $4,000 for associated ground works.
On Tuesday councillors made a unanimous vote to commission the sculpture.
