Drawing attention to local animal and floral species of the area, artist Melanie Caple creates a sense of discovery for residents and visitors to the newly upgraded Elder Street South Reserve.
The large-scale mural celebrates the natural landscape of Kingston through the use of vibrant colour, form and subject. The design incorporates snow gum sprigs, hop wattle, hardenbergia violacea rosea, galahs, Victorian common heath and a noisy miner bird.
This area of Bunurong Country is associated with gathering, resting and ceremony for Bunurong peoples. Gatherings and ceremony are associated particularly with circular images, reflecting the form that these ceremonial grounds took. The five apical ancestors of the Bunurong nation are extremely significant and are represented by five deep blue dots or waterholes and five birds (galahs) in acknowledgement of the connection that First People’s have to the landscape (with permission granted to the City of Kingston and to the artist). The thread of blue running through the design champions the importance of the local rivers and the bay, creating a sense of harmony and togetherness.
The two works connect to each other, carrying the themes from one mural to the next.
This significant public art project celebrates a series of parks set aside by the State Government for non-urban use to help combat climate change and improve liveability. Elder Street South Reserve is a unique 4-hectare former landfill site that is undergoing rehabilitation as part of Council’s project that will eventually see more than 300 hectares of land transformed into linked open spaces for the community to enjoy. Completion of this first part of the Green Wedge in 2023 will include active recreation, picnic areas, a nature play space and the planting of indigenous trees and plants throughout.
Artist and curator Melanie Caple examines our relationship with the botanical world around us with a focus on immortalising a sense of place. She uses native flora, colour and avian species to activate walls and canvases to draw attention to the fragility and vibrancy of our landscape. Melanie has exhibited in various group exhibitions and has staged solo exhibitions around Melbourne and in Gippsland and was the recipient of the annual Dick Bishop Memorial Award. She has been included in the artist line up for both the Urban Canvas Melbourne Mural Festival and Frankston’s Big Picture Festival.
Elder Street South Reserve (174 Elder Street South), Clarinda 3169 View Map
Elder Street South Reserve (174 Elder Street South) , Clarinda 3169