RHEA ANTHONY and NATASHA HOPPNER
Brisbane’s leading and emerging street artists have created provocative, Indigenous inspired murals on Merivale Street as part of the G20 Culture Celebrations.
The Pillars Street Art Gallery is an effort to embrace street art as a means of enriching Brisbane’s cultural landscape and developing the city’s character.
Brisbane local street artist, Guido Van Helten, reflects on the history of modern Australia and the strength represented through early Indigenous portrait photography in Pillars Street Art Gallery pieces.
“These images have spoken to me and strengthened my understandings in the great divide in mainstream Australian cultural against what defines Australia as unique,” he says.
“This work is about the responsibility of my large-scale portraiture style to represent this unique cultural identity and their rich connection to this land.”
Another participating urban contemporary artist, Gimiks Born, said the program offered local talent an opportunity to showcase themselves to the general public.
“There are some amazing street artists and graffiti artists that come from Brisbane and they haven’t yet been able to have a platform to showcase themselves,” he said.
“We’ve only heard positive things from people who have seen it.
“Hopefully it’s embraced and more people come on board to offer opportunities to local talent.”
At the same time, Mr Born hopes local governments and councils also embrace the potential of street art after the G20 finishes.
“I hope the Brisbane council and local governments don’t just forget about the artists and the creative talent they have on offer, who are just waiting for opportunities,” he said.
“Hopefully they keep going with it because people just want to see more of it.”
Painting commenced on October 13 and the outdoor gallery now consists of eight murals scattered along the Merivale Street rail underpass.
[…] last week we reported that Brisbane was embracing street art to enrich Brisbane’s cultural landscape and city’s […]