Journey's Seed

Journey’s Seed
by Anthony McInneny, artist and arch-peace member
(located in Box Hill, Melbourne - Destination 109)

The two sculptural works were developed in response to the information gathered from Whitehorse residents from all walks of life about their journeys and sense of place and space.

The site of the works was chosen as a public space of movement, of gathering and transition.

Essentially, the forms are derived from the shape of safety mirrors seen in most places of pedestrian and vehicular movement. The idea that being able to see around corners and into the future offered a novel notion of a sense of belonging in a public place. The idea that safety is simply derived by being known and seen by others was most simply stated in the use of the convex mirror. The idea of reflection, distortion and amplification reinforced this idea – being seen from a wider angle and, at the same time, being able to survey the space wider than our field of vision or point of focus.

The second idea working in these sculptures is the notion of space itself. The patterns at the base and reflected in the works represent various ambiguous pictorial representations of space. Two-dimensional patterns from the east, west and Australia are derived from tile, weaving and flora motifs respectively.

Lastly, the works are designed to float in the space and, depending on the time and day, virtually disappear. The rhythm and dynamic of the pieces engages with the movement of people as they traverse the space from tram to the commercial and educational centres that make Box Hill a thriving city.