Brisbane artist Mandy Ridley brings new life to the city’s Busway Project.
October 8th, 2009
You wouldn’t think it, but it was a 70-year-old wall in Herston, Brisbane, which was the inspiration for Mandy Ridley’s beautiful roadside installation entitled ‘Anonymous’ – a collaboration with Urban Art Projects.
The historic porphyry wall boundaries the Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital (RBWH) and is the central focus for Ridley’s work, which stretches for more than 100 metres.
Ridley describes the project as a “multi-disciplinary” exercise. “We had weekly meetings with architects, clients, heritage personnel and more, problem-solving to implement my vision for the project,” she says.
Set across a series of six bays, ‘Anonymous’ reflects the local region’s history through vivid imagery, such as the ornate lettering which has been laser-cut from aluminium and anodised into a lustrous golden “burnt orange” hue.
The elaborate letters comes together to spell the names of dozens of donors, drawn from RBWH’s donor boards. These form the backdrop to six images, each of which “symbolise key themes which have impacted the hospital and surrounding region’s history”.
An archway reflects the arched entrance to Bowen Park; a silhouette of three local nurses (drawn from State Library archives) references the long hospital history; even the Brisbane Refidex (dated 1924) makes an appearance! And, thanks to HASSELL project architect Robert Keen, the artwork has been seamlessly integrated into the site.
Ridley is well known for her public installations, which can be found across Australia. While ‘Flow’ (2009) – a laser-cut, powdercoated aluminium surface commissioned for the Darwin City Waterfront Project – has been one of her largest to date, ‘Anonymous’ (as Ridley describes it) has been the most “ambitious”.
Drivers-by can see ‘Anonymous’ as they cruise down Bowen Bridge Road, adjacent to the new Northern Busway.
Client: Inner Northern Busway Alliance
Fabrication, Installation and Consultancy: Daniel Clifford of Urban Art Projects
Project Management: Project Services Public Art Unit
Mandy Ridley
(61) 402 719 048
mandyridley.com
Photo Credit: Rod Buchholz
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Savage Design’s approach to understanding the relationship between design concepts and user experience, particularly with metalwork, transcends traditional boundaries, blending timeless craftsmanship with digital innovation to create enduring elegance in objects, furnishings, and door furniture.
Create a configuration to suit your needs with this curved collection.
The Sub-Zero Wolf showrooms in Sydney and Melbourne provide a creative experience unlike any other. Now showcasing all-new product ranges, the showrooms present a unique perspective on the future of kitchens, homes and lifestyles.
Channelling the enchanting ambience of the Caffè Greco in Rome, Budapest’s historic Gerbeaud, and Grossi Florentino in Melbourne, Ross Didier’s new collection evokes the designer’s affinity for café experience, while delivering refined seating for contemporary hospitality interiors.
With Danish design and architecture combining to draw visitors to the Sydney Opera House, Paul McGillick sits down with Danish Consul-General and Trade Commissioner, Michael Hansen, to hear about why the Nordic kingdom holds such fascination for us.
Love the authentic experience of travelling but want to avoid the budget nature of traditional hostels? A new sort of hostel is emerging – enter the Bunka Hostel in Tokyo.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
An outstanding line-up of participants will contribute to a beautifully curated exhibition in Thailand that delves deep into the collective thinking of architecture in our region and helps set a progressive agenda for the future of design.
July has arrived in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane and this exemplary luggage brand has a new home that ticks all the boxes.