'Amongst the Weeds' was a project which revolved around finding a structure in the city and designing for it an 'appendage' to contrast or complement it.
I found a street in Newtown, Wellington dotted with these concrete cylinder planting pots - most of them empty - looking sad and forgotten, adding to the dishevelled feel of this end of the street. |
Walking down this part of the street I couldn't help but notice the coldness created by the heavy use of concrete saturated with tin fences, counterbalanced only by the scraps of grass growing through the cracks - in stark contrast to the other end of the street where the planters are buckling under the force of the large green trees, bursting out at the trunk.
I observed several parents walking by with kids and strollers, which became my source of inspiration: I felt there was something needed here to brighten up the daily strolls of both children and adults. The final design might be viewed merely as a bronze sculpture to parents and older passers-by, yet is a world of possibilities and adventure for younger minds and bodies. The bronze arms grow from amongst the weeds manipulating themselves, twisting and reaching like octopus tentacles, encouraging kids to interact with it through specifically designed forms which allow climbing, sitting, imagining and exploring. The sculpture works with the colours and man-made 'feel' of the surrounding landscape, and simultaneously contradicts the run-down aesthetic of this block. |