Monday 26 August 2013

Other Cambridges: Cambridge, Western Australia

Source: Town of Cambridge, WA (artist: Janine Judge)


I subscribe to an email service that sends me news about 'art in Cambridge'.  Half the links I get sent refer to other Cambridges:  Cambridge, Ontario; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Cambridge, New Zealand...



According to  the Cambridge Wikipedia disambiguation page, there are at least 24 other Cambridges on Earth (besides Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK).  So I got intrigued by these other Cambridges.  And I started thinking:  it's not entirely off-topic to post about 'Art in Cambridge (outside of Cambridgeshire)' ...

So this is the first in a part of an irregular series, devoted to art in our sister cities: that is, art in the Other Cambridges.




Other Cambridges:  Art in Cambridge, Western Australia

I'm starting with Cambridge, WA, because I grew up in Sydney, New South Wales (during my adolescence) so I feel an affinity with this particular Cambridge.

Cambridge, Western Australia, is a town (or to be precise, a local governmental area) near or in the city of Perth.

Here is a google streetview screenshot of a street in Cambridge, WA, to give you an idea what the urban fabric looks like.  It's very different from Cambridge, Cambs.


cambridge, western australia


Litherland on 5-7 Sussex St


At first, I wasn't able to find much art in Cambridge, WA.  But that may be due to me not physically being in Cambridge, WA.  I've never been to Cambridge, WA, in fact, and did my research entirely via the internet.   So if you read this and know more about the art in Cambridge, WA, do let me know!!

I did find this brochure on public sculpture at Ocean Mia:

Cambridge News, March 2012



























And I even found the development of Ocean Mia via google maps.  Here is Kinta Street, and you can see the round stone sculptures on the grassy strip at left.  I can certainly pick out the white sphere, and I think the upright black one with the red concentric circles (shown in the brochure) is hidden by a tree and visible only via its shadow.  Another horizontal sculpture is visible at the top edge of the google map screenshot.

Kinta St : Majalin Ave Ocean Mia

Who is the sculptor of these stones?  I don't know but it could be Judith Forrest who made this Maid with My Own Hand but also made sculptures at Ocean Mia.

Judith Forrest, Maid with my own hand

However, the style is quite different so I'm not too sure...

What else?

Once I started looking, I found more art.

The Cambridge Library on Floreat Avenue houses the Boulevard Centre, and the Centre is used for art exhibitions.


Their website doesn't seem to have been udpated since 2012 but in that year the Centre showed paintings by:

Dennis Carrick (Red Tulips)
Robin Tunnicliffe (Swan River at Maylands)
Pippa Newby
Janine Cairnes

(Click on the artist's name to find out more.)

Here is a picture of the Cambridge Library which opened in 2002:



I couldn't find out who the architects are but I like the clean lines, the use of softly-coloured stone, and the cantilevered flat roof.

What else?


Within the jurisdiction of Cambridge lie the wetland areas of Perry Lakes.  Somewhere in this area, stands this iron sculpture:



A tent with a fleur-de-lys inside:  I have no idea of the symbolism.  It would be nice to picnic there, though.

The Town of Cambridge runs a number of Art and Culture programmes, including the Local Schools Art Exhibition.

In September 2012, this was won by Phoebe Withers (Year 1) for Emu Express:


Finally:

Watch this interesting video about Perth's public art policy.  Perry Lakes is  mentioned at 3:30.  I particularly like the iron nests at 3:10 and the kangaroo at 1:35.



Well, initially I only looked for some art but it's turned into quite an adventure and also a detective-like feat:  armchair travel certainly has changed in the age of the world-wide web.  I feel as if I've been immersed in a strange and different place for the past hour or so.  

I look forward to my next 'trip'!  I hope you'll join me!

And if you are from a Cambridge that's not Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, do let me know what to look out for!!


Copyright notice:  Pictures are linked from the websites cited above.  I've credited artists where their name was known.  Please let me know if you feel that you have not been correctly credited.  All artwork is © of the artist named.



3 comments:

  1. Yes I made both the Water Watchers (Ocean Mia) & Maid with my Own Hand (Sculpture at Bathers Beach.) So of course the style seems consistent to me. I just look at each project as a new opportunity. Public artworks are mean to fulfil a brief - ad every job is different.
    Cheers JF

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi! I'm so happy you found this post and commented here; that's amazing. What other art works have you made? And have you got a website? I loved the way I could look at your sculptures via google earth...! :-)

      Delete
  2. My website is Judithforrestartworks.com.au it is still under construction so bear with it when you find pieces missing it will be finished soon!

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...