Serene and peaceful, the latest photographic billboard installed on Tower 1 at 60 Lorimer Street, provides passing motorists with the opportunity for positive contemplation reminiscent of warm Australian afternoons in the sunshine.

The newly installed work is by renowned Australian photographer Narelle Autio and is from her series ‘Not of This Earth’. Titled, Untitled #15, the image was taken by Autio as she hung upside down through the guard rails of Sydney’s iconic Harbour Bridge and photographed the parklands below. Autio’s image of people lying, lunching and playing on the grass forms an elegant tableau vivant of humanity. These spontaneous moments seem incredibly still but also full of life. Contemporary urban life seems viewed from afar - not of this earth.
 
Hauntingly Australian, “the image displays a coveted moment in time; a candid, seemingly unobserved, precious, brief moment in life. From the height of the bridge the people who have flung their bodies onto the grass in relaxation, in exhaustion or in worship of a beautiful day, look as though they might have fallen from heaven. 

Narelle states that “in watching people spend time with friends, families and lovers, unobserved and therefore uninhibited, I feel a sense of freedom and spirit that is not bound and strangled by the confines of everyday worries. Lying on the cool grass, dwarfed by the huge structure of the bridge, playing in its shadows, sharing a picnic, sun-baking or simply watching life go by - for brief periods of time people enjoying just being alive.”

 
Thus the work can also be said to provide a glimpse of the Docklands lifestyle where green open spaces along the waterfront, offer residents, visitors and workers alike a place to relax in the contemporary environment.

Autio’s work is the latest in the Yarra’s Edge Urban Art program, which was chosen through an independent panel of specialist art curators in conjunction with Mirvac, who select works which are both representative of Australian culture and society and are thought provoking for the broader community. As part of this program, the billboard on Tower 1 (60 Lorimer Street) exhibits a new static image every 12 months and has been dedicated to contemporary Australian photographic art. The current image is the seventh installed to date.

The Urban Art program adds value to residents and those visiting Yarra’s Edge in creating a stimulating site journey around the precinct. There is a range of different art expressions to be viewed; from iconic large scale landmark artworks such as the ‘Webb Bridge’, a sculptural pedestrian bridge to the lighting design composition, ‘Heartland’ a rear illuminated, animated image developed from imprints and earth moldings taken from the site. In addition, smaller more intimate artworks such as windscreens, water pools as well as ceramic sculptural inlays within the promenade pavement areas encourage contemplation and reflection.

As an increasingly popular Docklands destination, a tour of the precinct’s urban art makes a fabulous weekend outing where people can also enjoy a leisurely stroll along the promenade taking in the spectacular city and water views. The selection of restaurants, cafes and boutique shops on the waterfront provide the ideal environment for people to relax and enjoy the stunning display of Urban Art in this precinct.

For further information on Yarra’s Edge Urban Art contact 9645 9400.