I’ve been riding past this for weeks to and from work, waiting for a submission. Skink (aka the Cambridge Stink) comes through with the goods. Another laser cut piece? Really? That it’s neither good nor bad is its worst aspect. Fortunately Skink also goggled or woogled some Ai WeiWei for the true story. (Although it’s a little hard to grasp at times, all you need to know is public art isn’t art. And if it is, it’s bad. And not art.) Mt Lawley Station. Why does Mt Lawley Station get this, and Maylands Station gets a view of Mad Kuntz and The Penn?
Most public art is an embellishment of popular and mediocre sentiments, the approval of a safe and stable state of mind, and an abuse perpetrated by the value system and the aesthetics of the ruling class. Interesting artworks effectively disturb tradition, this popular and vulgar aesthetic, and the prevailing social ideology. An artwork unable to make people feel uncomfortable or to feel different is not one worth creating.
The ‘public’ in public art actually refers to a personal space. It does not contain an artistic value statement. It does not serve the public. It was not created for the public. It could be targeted at the public, but it could also completely ignore the existence of a public. Here, art has simply made effective use of a public environment. It does not have an obligation to beautify or adorn.
The only difference between public art and other art is that public art is placed in a non-private space. This makes you unable to do certain private things while around the artwork, but at night, when no one’s around, you can still piss on it.
Ai Weiwei
The Worst of Perth 
The people-with-briefcases motif isn’t even slightly tiresome either.
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The kangaroos should have briefcases.
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Laser cut may be the new bad bronze.
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Which makes briefcases what? The new badly proportioned limbs?
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It’s good for nori. Nice light, Skink.
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googled it? some of us read books you know
not the best translation, I concede
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i like that suit man is about to jump in front of the train
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“the approval of a safe and stable state of mind,” Dunno about that , all I see is an Occupational Health and Safety disaster, completely inapporpiates, with some poor FIFO worker impaled with a metal arm stuck up his arse.
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I reckon you could get some metal fatique action going on the heads.
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definitely rife with hazard. Also, anyone attempting to board a Midland line service in either fashion depicted is likely to get punched in the head.
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Good point, well made…if this was a random metal leftover of some kind, capable of causing equal injury if you walked into it, we’d be able to sue. Can we sue for the mental anguish, instead, maybe?
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‘Why does Mt Lawley Station get this?’
my thoughts exactly, especially since they have moved on to beautify Meltham station, and I’ll bet that doesn’t get any superfluous adornment.
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Cue Bento telling us that Mt Lawley Station is actually in Bayswater.
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“Renowned Perth artist, designer and sculptor Gordon Mitchell is creating some public
artwork for Mt Lawley and Meltham.
Talking about Mt Lawley, Gordon said he enjoyed designing a work that will give the
station a special identity connecting people in a light-hearted and uplifting way.
“The sculpture aims to enrich the experiences of passengers and create a talking
point for them on the platform and in the train,” he said.”
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With buttocks in my face as I tried to mark my students’ stories, endless sniffing from people who didn’t bring any tissues (not that they would have room to blow their noses anyway), interminable loud announcements the train wasn’t going further than Shenton Park, and then a short and mad transit security guard telling each passenger in a lod voice the train was going no further than Shenton Park, my experience was sufficiently enriched this morning without public art.
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if you had buttocks in your face you were lucky enough to get a seat, so stop whining.
by the time i get on all i get is stale armpits in my face.
what i want to know is how can you have body odour at 7.40am?
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Its called mcdonalds egg mcmuffin flartulence at 7.40am in the morning
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It’s a lethal lottery even at Guildford: some are discreet, but I canter on hoping for the last seat with briefcase waving like helicopter blades.
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OT, but APILN just got even better, DFOC.
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Solid GOLD, Snuff.
I note the bin on fire scoop has 13 comments so far – more than TLA gets at times.
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Beautify Meltham? Have you seen it lately. The entire thing is grey, and is covered in moths.
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Warrrgh, not Meltham too! According to the guys in dayglo the works at Meltham are to bring the lower ramp into accordance with ISO09919911111009000011110001, or whatever benighted standard it is which exists to haul public ramps into accordance with the capabilities of electric wheelchairs.
I’d hoped to escape the Art.
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Also, nice to see that the so-innovative reverse-pitch design which has worked so wonderfully well at Claisebrook for the past few winters is being perpetuated. It’s probably vibrant, right?
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A roof to keep the rain off?
Obviously you are not an architect.
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You forgot to add “I SAID GOOD DAY!”
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This does not look like the sort of thing one would want on a crowded platform. Or anywhere else, but particularly on a crowded platform.
It’s still a step up from the 4-story zipless fuck they have installed at St. Pancras in London, also home of the “poet John Betjeman stares open-mouthed at the shed” abomination.
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What St Pancras one do you mean?
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This thing:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/lovers-statue-installed-at-eurostar-terminal-6696531.html
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Dude has a “half French wife”. What you expect.
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is the other half Greek, or Spanish?
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Bottom half is English unfortunately.
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And is not the figurative bronze the low point in public art as we have seen here many times? In some ways the laser cut might be an improvement.
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I would agree, although in the US they were still cranking out acceptable work as late as the aftermath of WWII.
Have no idea what happened although “the complete collapse of the Beaux Arts educational system” might have something to do with it.
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Day (Pancras artist) said: “A lot of people will no doubt detest it because it is not violent or controversial but I’m sure those who do feel touched by it will outweigh them.
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“It is not in an art gallery, but a sculpture for a very public place, and therefore has to be accessible for people who may not regularly experience art.”
no, no, no
that’s exactly the logic that leads to this sort of bland shite, and why I used that quote from Ai Waiwai. Piss on it.
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But at least there it is assumed that it willl be hated because it is bland. Here it is assumed it would be hated if it wasn’t. Where’s the arse scratching dude?
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“Crowded platform”. Stop it, you’re killing me.
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“On an average weekday 447 people board at Mt Lawley.”
http://www.pta.wa.gov.au/Projects/MtLawleyStationupgrade/tabid/495/Default.aspx
Seems to say to me that sleepy is an understatement. Surely stations have been closed that have double the volume. My guess would have been in the thousands per day.
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Surely 447 *per train* would be closer to it?
Feels that way, at any rate.
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Does 447 per day seem pitiful to anyone else? Close it I say.
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The suburb is directly adjacent to downtown, no? It would seem that there must be much higher volume of ridership (unless the short distance to the CBD means more people take cars/the bus).
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There was one person on the platform as I rode past today. It’s more of a fixie riding and poodle walking area.
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You’re correct, but the surrounding area is predominantly low density, and is quite affluent. The result is a small walkable catchment, most of the occupiers of which are disinclined to use public transport, in case they rub up against people like DFOC. There are essentially no commercial uses in the surrouning area, so the station is a point of origin only in the morning, and a destination only in the afternoon.
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Didn’t I just say that? poodles and fixies.
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More or less. Poodle walkers would disdain DFOC, but fixie riders would be overawed by his ironic facial hair, ironic hat, ironic shabby suit, and obscure Chinese cigarettes.
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No ciggies no more. Duty free cut to about a pack and a half.
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NOT LISTENING NOT LISTENING NOT LISTENING (NO OFFENSE!).
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A vibrancy hub.
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It is completely useless for the main centre of Mt Lawley where people might actually use it. I may have to call on the minister to close it. Jezza Bell can get an exclusive.
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Hazardous!
Even poor blind Freddy can see that.
He didn’t need his non functioning eyes any more, anyway.
Gord help any visually impaired wheelchair driver.
I was going to say “What on earth were they thinking?”; but it is quite evident that no-one actually was.
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They were going on about 450 people using the station a day. Wouldn’t that be – fuck all?
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does anyone carry a briefcase these days? really? and do they swing them around at head height?
where are the one-shoulder messenger bags? where are the ipad man-bags?
she’s got flared pants, for the love of mercy
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I should say that no one on a platform that size should be as frantic to catch a train as the middle figure appears to be.
If they had installed it half a mile away in a parking lot, that I could see.
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there is another in the car park outside. just as amusing.
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There should be a name for this pose, should there not? Or this stride, rather. You know, something pretentious, like a font name. Someone come up with a funny one, I’m no good.
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I believe it is known as a ‘canter’
as in: ‘what a complete and utter…’
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Ah thank you, that was what I was looking for. ‘Public Art Canter avec connotation’, perfect.
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A work of “art” executed by a misogynist, there is not a skirt or dress in sight
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I note the ubiquitous cocos in the centre right.
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Far background? Those are actually dates or royals or something like that. Big ‘uns.
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The flatness of the “sculptures” (are they sculptures or cut outs?) is a representation of the perfect shape for a passenger travelling on the Midland Line at peak hour.
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Good point. Another reason to close this station. The trains are too full to stop anyway.
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Perth College. For those whose parents cant afford an Volvo XC90, Audi Q8 or BMW X6
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Got the boarding and patronage stats for Mt Lawley’s teeming Transit Oriented Development hub, vibrancy beacon, activity centre, public art showcase, complete with wheelchair suicide ramps. Yeah go nanna, wheeee
Average daily 327
Average weekday 383
Average weekend 205
VIIIIIIIII-B-RRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAANT
Pisses on Success Hill and West Midland (Fuck Woodbridge)
Rottobloggo your stats for Guildford are 421, 499, 251. You’re next
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How are these trains full with these piddling numbers?
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Chrissake. Really? The crush at Maylands and Bassendean and other hipper more happening stations presumably makes up the difference…?
Doesn’t seem like it could be enough, though. The natural state of trains just seems to be ‘crammed’. Is it a rent-a-crowd?
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Orbea – how’s Meltham doing, stat-wise? I notice we didn’t get the threatened public art, as yet. Other works ongoing but they seem to have wrapped up the platform.
Bullet dodged, or are they going for the old false sense of security?
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Bullet still coming. Artworks will be there. Also artist not happy with TWOP commentary on Teh Lawley.
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He’s reading this? Excellent. Gordon, mate, if you can’t take public commentary then the answer is pretty clearly ‘LIFT YER GAME’. We’ve lost some trees in the course of the platform upgrade. I like trees so go right ahead and give us something mindblowing to take my mind off it, will you? Something even half as good as having the trees back, and I’ll shut up. Otherwise, Mr. Weiwei’s advice seems appealing.
Incidentally I was in Singapore last month where I noted the standard of public art is a good four or five notches higher. There’s a godawful Soviet/St Pancras-style thing in the arrivals hall at Changi but it’s just a test of visitor mettle; once you’re past that it’s all good.
Thanks for cleaning up my mess TLA, sorry ’bout that.
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But if he lifted his game he wouldn’t have got the gig. That’s what’s the worstest about this. Only bland will be accepted. You can only hope for bland done competently or with a little style – which he has achieved I think.
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Can’t argue that. Safety issues aside the cantering cutouts aren’t my cup of tea, but competently executed. Corporate, even.
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Nicely corporate. What any artist wants to hear.
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Or as Harold Clurman put it; “When artists dream, they dream of money.”
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you know this?
personally, i’m just waiting for the carparks for meltham and maylands to meet up, and then maybe make their way down to mt lawley.
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they are organically joining up
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There’s talk of multi-storey. Really. Apparently, the cost per pay is ‘only double that of’ an ordinary paved-bit-of-ground bay. I want to know how that works, and could I please have a two storey house for only double the cost of paving the block over? Somehow I doubt it.
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meh. i like the idea of an endless carpark. get the farthest bay and you can just walk into the city.
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I assume they’re factoring in the cost of replying to Greg Smith’s objections.
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If the artist was capable of being happy, the failing angst would diminish all artistic capability.
Yer gotta be miserable to be an artist.
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Well, that’s just asking for a pasting isn’t it. Public acknowledgement of works could be measured by response level. I bet being on TWoP is more publicity than most.
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The stats are in Tuesday 14th Leg Council Question Time Hansard Page 106.
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Why Basso so many?
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Ellenbrook, Beechboro, Altone, Bennetts Springs buses I reckon. these are just boardings, not necessarily the first time the punter got on Transperth
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Hip and happening is why. Ta for source, btw.
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But every time I go past Basso, it’s dead. Old Perth Rd has tumbleweeds.
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I see the long-threatened Meltham yarrt has finally made its appearance. Tiled (?) murals of fish, seemingly swimming through forests. I can’t summon the energy to form an opinion on it. Just gimme the trees back, please.
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i saw it yesterday. it reminded me of the morley dolphins.
exactly what you would expect.
the trees, and please, more than just one paint colour.
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Same dude as Lawley briefcases?
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It’s very unlike, and not inspiring enough to motivate me to do a search, so…maybe?
Agree with vegan – the repairs to the building and repaving are welcome, but does it have to be all over dove grey? Three colours were tested prior to painting; a main grey and two shades of grey trim. I dunno, there might actually be some variation in there somewhere but it doesn’t exactly jump out at you if so. Too hard basket?
On the other hand the murals/plaques are in bright greens and whites and DO jump out at you. They occupy the niches where windows have been bricked up and there’s a lot of them.
Overall effect is a Lego building.
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in black and white.
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