Last week saw the opening of the 3.5ha Warrick Lane precinct in Blacktown CBD. The redeveloped Warrick Lane precinct is now home to a 482-space multi-level underground carpark, 2 tree-lined public parks, 2 flanking buildings, children’s play equipment, street furniture, breakout spaces and a plaza.
Overton Creative worked with Cox Architecture and Blacktown City Council to support a collaborative creative process between the design/development team (including architect, landscape/urban designers and other design professionals including lighting and wayfinding) and artist/s to generate distinctive and site specific artworks.
The artworks include DADU BAMUL – Under the ground (earth), i a series of figures and animals painted by Aboriginal artist Blak Douglas, that adorn all the levels of the underground carpark. The artist has used images and language of a different animal, native to this area of Dharug Land, to identify each level of the carpark, with images of other animals native to this area scattered all around the building.
The other artwork is ‘Light Wing’ is an 8-metre-high reflective sculpture mounted on the precinct’s tallest building. It was designed and built by Melbourne artist collective Skunk Control,, and was inspired by the partitioned wings of a local species of dragonfly. The artwork uses optical technology to reflect and transmit sunlight from diverse vantage points and at night, white LEDs project light through the optical filters producing an ever-changing kaleidoscope of colour.
