Woven Wonders of the Reef expands Skygate experience

Exploring the reef as a young child is the central theme to the concept behind Woven wonders of the reef, the latest major public art commission by prolific Cairns-based Torres Strait Islander artist, Brian Robinson launched yesterday at the ‘Capital City Airport of the Year’, Brisbane Airport.

Robinson’s new outdoor playscape,featuring large colourful reef fish, completes the retail/lifestyle experience of Brisbane Airport Corporation’s (BAC) $30 million Skygate expansion. BAC’s vision of being the ‘front door for Queensland’ has certainly been further enhanced by some impressive sculptural additions to its ever-expanding veranda by another nationally-acclaimed artist. Located at the entrance of the DFO development, Woven wonders of the reef offers viewers and children the fascinating experience of interacting with the Great Barrier Reef, one of the richest, most complex and diverse ecosystems in the world, its marine environment and vibrant color palette without getting your feet wet.

Julianne Aloe, BAC CEO and Managing Director, said the new artwork complements Brisbane Airport’s extensive collection of public art displayed throughout the grounds and terminals which is believed to be the largest of its kind in Australia. “Major art pieces can really transform public spaces and we’ve found that the millions of passengers and visitors travelling to and through the airport every year really appreciate and engage with the artworks on display. It is a great honour to have Brian Robinson’s colourful creation showcasing the beauty of Queensland’s world-famous Great Barrier Reef as part of Brisbane Airport’s collection.” Emanating from an art strategy entitled ‘Uniquely Queensland’, the work was projected managed and fabricated for BAC by Urban Art Projects.

The work also focuses on the past time activity of Torres Strait Islander weaving practices. Torres Strait Islanders adeptly fold and weave coconut palm strips to make mats, partitions, hats and also toys to delight children. A favorite playful shape is the ‘angel fish’, cherished by Robinson from his Thursday Island childhood. Deeply emblematic of a seafaring and saltwater culture, the woven angel fish represents the schools of aquatic marine life found in waters that weave throughout the Torres Straits where the Coral and Arafura Seas combine to form this fragile and intricate waterway.

As Robinson suggests, “I have tried to create a child-friendly, magical space though curvilinear and brightly colored sculptural forms, which add vibrancy and intentionally soften the precinct. My aim was create site-specific artworks that express the cultural relevance and importance of ‘play’ and ‘nature’ in Torres Strait Islander material culture. Playing games is a significant part of social activity for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians across the nation. Writing in ArtsHub earlier this week, Gina Fairley suggests, “That playfulness in Robinson’s work has garnered wide attention for his work within the museum and collecting sectors, not only for its popular appeal but its historical and cultural foundations”.

Woven wonders of the reef connects directly with Robinson’s iconic stainless steel art work created for the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon. This latest art work is currently one of a spate of successes for Robinson, including the installation earlier this week by CREATIVEMOVE of another suite of artworks for the Mackay Regional Council which will be launched in late November. Keep an eye out in Wood Street, Mackay for Urban Bloom I & II and Deco Bloom I & II, which have already created much debate in local press and social media in that city.

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