Manningham residents and visitors can enjoy public artwork at various sites across the municipality, with nearly 20 unique works having been commissioned or acquired by Council in recent decades. These include the iconic 'Gateway' sculptures Sentinel, helmet and River Peel that mark the major entrances to the city.
The city also features numerous works in private settings, including outside Westfield Shopping Centre, Doncaster, and at the celebrated Heide Sculpture Park.
Sentinel was the first of three sculptures commissioned by Manningham Council to mark the major gateways to the city. It stands approximately 13 metres high and weighs 12 tonnes. Created by internationally renowned artist and long-term Manningham resident Inge King, Sentinel was conceived as an icon of the City of Manningham and the sculpture casts a watchful eye over the area. The multicoloured crown is the focal point of the work. Its curved shapes symbolise the two creeks of the municipality, the Mullum Mullum and the Koonung. They enclose the blue oval form representing the City of Manningham.
Manna Gum is inspired by the local eucalypt blossoms and marks the start of the Bolin Bolin Cultural Landscape Trail. This trail passes through an area which was an important gathering place for the local Wurundjeri people due to its seasonal abundance of food. The Wurundjeri frequented the area when the billabongs were low, the eucalypts were flowering and they were able to collect nectar.
Photo: Christopher Sanders.
River Peel draws on the local heritage and surrounding landscape, imitating the Yarra River as it bends and turns through the area. The sculpture also represents the peel of an apple to relate to the history of orcharding in the areas of Doncaster and Templestowe.
Photo: Christopher Sanders.
Spontaneous in form, Deborah Halpern's creatures are produced in a style that recalls visions of Gaudi, Picasso and French sculptor Niki de San Phalle, yet are distinctly 'Halpernesque' in their ability to delight and surprise. Water Creature stands prominently in the forecourt of Manningham City Square accompanied by another work by Deborah Halpern, Big Cat.
Photo: Christopher Sanders.
One of two mosaic sculptures by renowned Melbourne artist Deborah Halpern that bring a splash of colour and fun to the forecourt of Manningham City Square community hub, Doncaster.
Photo: Christopher Sanders.
helmet is inspired by the artist Sidney Nolan’s Kelly series of paintings, created at Heide, in which we see the figure of Ned Kelly riding through the landscape. During a walking tour of ‘Kelly country’ Nolan realised “that the bush and the Kelly helmet belonged together” and helmet is a wonderful interpretation of Nolan’s paintings through a new medium and artistic vision.
Triptych takes the shape of a game or wooden toy or puzzle with pieces that look two dimensional and are brightly coloured. The work is a nostalgic reminder of how toys and games have changed over the last century.
Photo: Christopher Sanders.
The Doncaster Road pedestrian underpass is situated between Doncaster Primary School and Manningham City Square. Artist Warren Langley created the art piece on the walls and ceiling. The design features a striking montage of colour and light and helps to brighten the underground thoroughfare to encourage greater use.
Running/Walking can be viewed during the day or night. The concertina-shaped walls have been fabricated to form a series of copper and glass components. By night, the LED lighting brings the artwork to life. The human figures are representations of actual members of the community that transcend ethnicity and evoke the sense of a progressive, forward moving populace.
|
|