An architectural installation inspired by Dimboola's pink lake is coming to the National Gallery of Victoria in December, with one of the minds behind the project having a direct link to the region.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The pond[er] installation was designed in a collaboration between artist James Carey and Melbourne-based architecture firm Taylor Knights.
The installation will feature a body of pink water surrounded by beds of native Australian wildflowers, in which visitors will be able to immerse themselves in.
One half of the Taylor Knights architecture firm, James Taylor, grew up in Wartook and went to school at Horsham College before leaving to go to university in 2003.
READ MORE:
Mr Taylor said his experiences of growing up on a property in Wartook inspired him to pursue architecture.
"The Grampians are a really big part of my life and really influential on how it has shaped me and affected my practice," he said.
"My parents were always building. My parents built their house, and they also built mud brick cabins on the property as well. Quite an alternative building for its time using handmade mud bricks, telephone poles and lots of Oregon beams.
"I think dad was always very hands-on, he also built a small shearing shed and lots of other structures.
"We were always very hands-on and that is what I love about my job, it is both creative but still very technical and practical at the same time."
Mr Taylor met Peter Knights while working together at the same architecture firm, and in 2013 the pair left to create Taylor Knights architecture.
"I think growing up in the country you have a connection to nature. It is quite a different upbringing and I think that influences our work a lot, that connection to place," he said.
"Landscaping is really important to our work, so even if we work in places that are very tight and narrow, there is always that elemental connection."
The firm specialised in bespoke residential work in both Melbourne and regional Victoria - however in 2020 the two decided to branch out with an entry into the National Gallery of Victoria's 2021 Architecture Commission.
The design process started in late 2020, for which the firm enlisted artist James Carey.
Mr Taylor said Mr Carey helped the group consider the complete lifecycle of the artwork, and integrating a "circular economy" for the installation.
"James asked a lot of questions and challenged our way of thinking," he said.
"One of the big things that James really pushed us on was thinking about the lifecycle of this installation
"We were really trying to make this sort of circular economy, not just the making of the installation - but what happens afterwards.
"The plants will go to landcare groups, the steel will go to a metal worker, there is a group in the Otways which will take some of the pink cork and webforge, which makes up the platform that the public will walk on."
OTHER NEWS:
Design work for the installation occurred with the backdrop of Victoria's Black Summer bushfires, something Mr Taylor said was front-of-mind when working on the piece.
He said the Wimmera's pink lakes stood out as an example of the preciousness of nature, and through the piece aimed to provoke conversation on the importance of water as a natural resource.
"I think what really caught our imagination was the preciousness of these lakes. It is a really rare occurrence where you have the perfect natural circumstances where you get this pink effect," he said.
"There are places in Australia where those pink lakes have been lost because of human changes.
"So it is to highlight the preciousness of these beautiful elements of our landscapes, and if we are not careful on how we manage water they may disappear."
The ponder[er] installation will be open to the public on December 7, at the National Gallery of Victoria's Grollo Esquiet Garden.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.mailtimes.com.au/
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/Wim_Mail_Times
- Follow us on Instagram www.instagram.com/wimmeramailtimes/
Did you know you can receive updates straight to your inbox? To make sure you're up-to-date with news from across the region, sign up here.