2019 | Canberra Journeys | Concept works
Jodie Cunningham Art, in collaboration with PLACE Laboratory, applied the Canberra Journeys artwork to the designs for the Woolley St Project gateway, street murals and light poles, Images of application of this work to the for the Woolley St project are located at my project page The Woolley St Project
Canberra Journeys reflects a chaotic colourful sensory experience of multiple cultures, foods and delicious aromas combined with personal and collective memories.
Celebrating cultural diversity in Canberra and reflecting on the idea of the journey - large and small journeys, life journeys, ritual journeys like dinners celebrating connection with family and friends, and key life milestone journeys such as first date, first break up, pregnancy, graduations and birthdays.
These art works utilise contemporary symbols, created to celebrate the idea of ‘Diverse Dickson’- the central premise of the City Renewal Authority ’s Dickson Place Plan. Inspiration for the symbols has come from a variety of local sources including the Marion Mahoney and Walter Burley Griffin 1911 Plans for Canberra, patterns from local suburban architecture - like the 1960s breeze blocks seen in many older Dickson homes, and a popular Woolley St. specialty – noodles. Local Canberra wildflowers, that grow on the nearby Mt Majura and Mt Ainslie, have been included in some of the symbols reinforcing Canberra’s identity as the ‘Bush Capital’. The local symbols have been infused with universal symbols with multiple cultural provenance to enhance the theme of diversity and reinforce connections with ‘Chinatowns’ around the world. This includes the pinwheel, a symbol of celebration and movement, and a reference to both play and ‘turning luck around’, conveying good luck to the people of Canberra. The different symbols are organised into compositions using the hexagon shape - a direct reference to the geometry of the Burley Griffin plan. The pattern of interconnected hexagons imitates the structure of a beehive - a metaphor of the interconnected Canberra community.A colourful and warm palette of red, orange and pink with touches of green, blue and purple unifies the collection of symbols and emanates a happy atmosphere of festivity and celebration.
Decoding the Symbols - Canberra Journeys
