Gawler artist Kyle Armstrong, also known as Whale Tail, has collaborated on this design of Gawler icon Briant Mahoney for the town’s mural project. It is proposed to be placed along the brick entrance to the Finniss Street car park from Whinnens Lane.
Brendan Simpkins
FINNISS Street carpark will soon be given a new lick of paint, with Gawler Council releasing designs for its mural project.
Five designs were released last week from the short-listed artists – a collaborative effort between T.R Visual Art and Shane Cook, and Whale Tale.
Whale Tale, aka Gawler artist Kyle Armstrong, has combined with The Bunyip’s cartoonist George Aldridge for his designs.
The short-listed designs were chosen from seven proposals following council’s expressions of interest process that took place earlier this year.
Thomas Readett, of T.R Visual Art, and Shane Cook, are both Indigenous men who grew up in the northern suburbs.
Their first proposal, situated across the Centenary Lane wall of the carpark, depicts Kaurna man Jack Buckskin, who has played a key role in reviving the traditional language in Adelaide.
Mr Buckskin’s face is featured on the brick section of the wall, with his body painted across the concrete section below. Dot paintings are also featured in the design.
The second proposal features above the Whinnens Lane entrance to the carpark and depicts the heritage- listed Angle Vale Bridge mixed with Indigenous mark making.
Armstrong, born and raised in Gawler, has submitted two designs for Centenary Lane, both different in execution but with the same theme of art.
The first depicts a pop-up art gallery with different picture frame placed along the wall.
In his proposal, Armstrong said the images within the frames could be changed by different artists over time.
The second design for the space features a caricature of Aldridge across the brick space, with cartoons of Gawler’s three football clubs continuing along the bottom section.
His proposal states that more characters relating to the area would continue along the concrete section.
For the section above the Whinnens Lane entrance, Armstrong has proposed a tribute to local icon Briant Mahoney, otherwise known as the man with the dog, drawn by Aldridge.
He is depicted surrounded by dogs.
A selection panel comprising Mayor Karen Redman and councillors Nathan Shanks, Diane Fraser and Cody Davies chose the two submissions.
The selection panel will now make a choice between the two proposals, taking into account public feedback, with the decision to go back to council later this month for adoption.
Feedback can be provided on council’s Facebook page or at Gawler Civic Centre.
