CHANCING UPON PLACE MEMORIES

2019. Bob Hawke College.

Brick engraving. 60 lineal meters.

ENGRAVING BRICKWORK TO REVEAL HISTORY

This public art commission solved the problem of adding fine-grain detail to the building envelope to engage pedestrians, to not protrude or act as a climbing surface and to connect to the significant local history of this place for both the primary users (students) and the community.

This former Noongar wetland area and later a state football oval is now home to teenage school children of Bob Hawke College. Inspired by the teenage fascination and historical evidence of graffiti and scratching into the built environment to make a statement, this work hints at the stories of previous generations that have occupied this site.

The text is intentionally open to interpretation and visually subtle. This encourages the onlooker to discover and develop their own narrative and meaning. Words appear to take their cue from its football past, yet equally, appear to reference the present learning environment or the fact it is on Aboriginal land. Do these words exclusively one history or all collectively? Through the use of text, commonalities between communities and their narratives across time are now apparent, thereby connecting the community. 

The text was determined in collaboration with the Inner City College Advisory Group, a community-based group led by John Burke and in consultation with the Whadjuk Working Party.