People and ephemeral art

Fiona and I are a tad tired this evening after the last two days of Open Studios and the art4place activity. The Open Studios was a great success - we had about 120 people through over the two days - about even numbers on both days even though today was wet and windy.

But I thought I might share some photos of the the art4place work that went on in Pecan Park as part of the Festival of Walks Maleny party. art4place artists Noela, Tracey, Edith-Ann and I worked with Tracey's partner and Fiona M and other visitors to Pecan Park to create Cairns of Hope and Inspiration. The aim was to create cairns with park visitors, party-goers and walkers out of timber and twigs collected from the edges of the park; and to get people to place messages of hope and inspiration into the cairns. The art was ephemeral in that it would either rot away, be burnt or be redistributed into the edges of the park. Whilst the photos below shows that one of the four cairns was burnt over night the others were still in place.

Barry Smith © Cairn after the fire

I really felt a sense of strength that community artists had given their time to create the installation of cairns.

Barry Smith © Cairn- beginnings

Barry Smith © A vista with cairn

Barry Smith © Tracey cairn

Barry Smith © Scale and majestic trees

And some people did contribute their messages of hope and inspiration - and sent those vibes out - even as they burnt.

Barry Smith © Messages of hope and inspiration

Barry Smith © Global messages

Barry Smith © Cairn with messages of hope and inspiration

Big thanks to Noela, Tracey, Edith-Ann and Fiona M - stars.