Perth Voice Interactive

THE Mt Lawley subway is to be beautified after two years of bureaucratic wrangling.

In June 2012 Bayswater city council accepted a state graffiti grant of $15,000 from WA Police and committed $5000 towards an urban art facelift of the underpass.

But red tape stymied the project and it fell into a bureaucratic limbo: situated at the joint boundaries of Stirling, Vincent and Bayswater city councils, different portions of the site are owned by WA main roads and the public transport authority, which made negotiations complicated.

“Protracted negotiations for the method of installing the artwork onto the bridge structure, access and maintenance arrangements resulted in the PTA not giving their approval for the project until late December 2013,” wrote Bayswater council CEO Francesca Lefante.

Perth street artist Hurben held workshops with four Baysy youngsters, incorporating their preferred colour scheme and underwater theme into the final design.

“The subway artwork was refined with the underwater theme, highlighting the sensation of movement and reflecting the sounds created by the road environment,” wrote Ms Lefante.

“The underwater setting fits in with the ambience and lighting of the site.

“Iconic patterns wrap the fish to mirror the vehicles and the direction they are travelling in, in order to capture the viewers, so they see their reflection and find contemplation as an animal in the world.”

Mt Lawley Liberal MP Michael Sutherland, who mooted the idea of beautifying the subway, says he is pleased it is finally happening.

“As a supporter of good quality urban art I am thrilled to hear that the Mt Lawley subway artwork is underway,” he says.

“It has been a long time coming. I am hoping that the initiative for Urban Art in subways is extended to the King William Street and West Perth subways.

“I wish to thank the Vincent, Bayswater and Stirling councillors and officials for their support as well as the state government which contributed $10,000.”

Vincent councillor Josh Topelberg voted against approving the final artwork, describing it as “not particularly exciting.”

Works are scheduled to commence this week with cleaning and base coat preparation of the walls to be done over two days. The artwork will take around a week to complete.

A photographer arranged by Bayswater city council will snap Hurben creating the aquatic mural.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK