Liam McNally
A new sculpture embodying the theme of growth is being prepared for The Avenue park in Caroline Springs.
Sydney artist Jade Oakley has been hard at work producing the piece, which will be comprised of a steel sculpture at the playground, and series of etchings in the pathway leading up to it.
The sculpture will look like two large leaves on a steel stem, with the veins of the leaves depicting a map of Caroline Springs.
Ms Oakley said her inspiration for the sculpture came from looking at maps of Caroline Springs, which reminded her of how the patterns of the community growing across the landscape were “just like the patterns in nature of growth.”
“The idea of growth is very much embedded in this sculpture…if you think about the patterns of roots in the soil, or the patterns of veins in a leaf, those sorts of patterns look almost like tiny street-scapes,” she said.
Ms Oakley said the work will also use art created by community members during workshops she conducted.
“I love about it the artworks that various members of the community have done are going to be in the park for a very, very long time,” she said.
“It’s a really nice way of making it very much a part of the community – by the community and for the community.”
The project was facilitated by Melton council and T Projects, and Creative Road are assisting Ms Oakley with fabrication of the project.
The completed artwork is due to be installed by the end of February, and Melton council are planning a launch event for the piece.
