Something a little bit magical has been happening on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin…
Our daily walk from the Kingston Foreshore to the National Gallery is now peppered with curious, quirky and sometimes quite marvellous works of art.
Some of them are on the green lawns of Bowen Park, some of them are on the lake’s edge and some have even made their way into the water. Our usual stroll past ducks, swans, trees and parkland becomes a game.
When will we spot the next sculpture, installation or painting?
We laugh out loud at the Carp Diem plaque and mourn the mindless vandalism that has resulted in their broken tails.
What is the meaning of that square of wheat sheaves on the grass?
Why does this cherry red sculpture of twirls and angles make us smile with delight?
As we gaze at the view of water and sky we notice this heart lifting text:
I am not sure how our walk turned into an outdoor gallery but there is a part of me that does not want to know the reason or purpose of these fantastic and bizarre objects. It is enough to come upon a series of painted silhouettes or a woven rowing boat or a group of surreal creatures, knee deep in lake water, and to feel the inexplicable joy of children receiving unexpected gifts.
© Anita Patel, 2016
Like this:
Like Loading...
Published by anitapatel
Anita Patel is a writer (and retired teacher) who has lived in Canberra since 1982. She is as Australian as a banana paddle pop and a pair of sandy thongs and she is also a part of the Asian diaspora. Her collections of poetry are: 'Petals Fall' published by Recent Work Press in 2022 (https://recentworkpress.com/product/petals-fall) and 'A Common Garment' published by Recent Work Press in 2019 (https://recentworkpress.com/product/a-common-garment/).
In 2019, she collaborated with acclaimed artist, Annie Franklin, to produce 'Heart Stitched' (a story - in paintings and poetry - of the quirky, unexpected and dazzling layers in the natural world). They received significant support from Nancy Sever (Nancy Sever Gallery). In 2022, their second book 'Grief and Beauty' (which arose from the 2019-20 bushfires) was published - once again with support from Nancy Sever.
She has had work published in the Canberra Times, in Conversations (Pandanus Press, ANU), in Block 9, Burley Journal, Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, Demos Journal, Mascara Literary Review, Not Very Quiet Journal, Cordite Poetry Review, Backstory Journal, Other Terrain Journal, Pink Cover Zine, FemAsia Magazine, Plumwood Mountain Journal, Eucalypt: a tanka journal and Print Issue 42 of The Blue Nib Journal. Her work is also included in the following anthologies: The Australian Poetry Anthology (Vol. 8), 'This Gift This Poem' (Puncher and Wattman) and 'What We Carry' (Recent Work Press). Her children’s poems are included in an anthology 'Pardon My Garden' (Harper Collins). Her poem “Women’s Talk” won the ACT Writers Centre Poetry Prize in 2004 and her poetry was selected for and published in Australian Book Review’s States of Poetry ACT, 2018.
She has performed her work at the Canberra Multicultural Festival, Poetry on the Move Festival, Noted Festival, Floriade Fringe Festival, In Other Words Festival (at Lost in Books, Fairfield), the Queensland Poetry Festival, the National Folk Festival, at Smith’s Alternative, at Word in Hand (Glebe) and La Mama Poetica.
Her reviews, “Found in Translation”, on the performances of four Japanese women poets and their translators at Poetry on the Move Festival, 2017 and “No More Silent Waiting”, on the anthology Autonomy edited by Kathy D’Arcy (2018) have been published by Not Very Quiet Journal. She was the guest editor for Issue 2 of Not Very Quiet Journal. View all posts by anitapatel
teapotsandincense 
I had no idea these pieces existed Anita. You’ve intrigued me and how I want to see them. I assume they are are permanent? I remember walking around the ANU a few years ago down the end of Liversidge St and discovering some sculptures. What a great. Love public art like this.
LikeLike
Yes we were surprised to come across these lovely pieces…some of them look more permanent than others. Our city is full of gifts! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It sure is… And we’ll start exploring again when this darned weather settles down.
LikeLiked by 1 person