Wurundjeri Way: Where Eagles Stare

Another highlight (see previous post) of our Docklands precinct is Bruce Armstrong's wonderful (25 metre high) sculpture, Bunjil – also the highest sculpture in the Southern Hemisphere. Armstrong's sculpture has a truly captivating and awe-inspiring presence. It looms large on the city horizon and really is a very big and quite beautiful bird.

One per-cent of development costs in the Docklands’ precinct have been put towards towards urban art (the PDF there is worth downloading). Whilst the placement of much of the art in the area seems a little slap-dash and much of it is probably quite a mish-mash of disparate styles – when the art is as terrific as Bunjil, you can't help but be thankful that some interesting art has been given some air in public.

Anecdotally, many friends, acquaintances, colleagues and family members really seem to like Bunjil. Just about everyone is a fan – except perhaps those in the art 'industry'.

There's the 'Indigenous inpiration' for Armstrong's sculpture that some in the art community find a little contentious. From The Age: "the sculpture was inspired by Bunjil, the eaglehawk that is regarded as the spirit creator of the Kulin nations, which include the Wurundjeri people...The Wurundjeri people believe that Bunjil is a spiritual being who created people and all living things from the land. He keeps a watchful eye on people and offers guidance to those who choose to listen."

One is made quite aware of the Aboriginal heritage of this region by virtue of the sculpture looming (literally) very large overhead. It has an extraordinary presence and is hard to ignore. For some in the Melbourne art world, the "Indigenous Australian theme(s) of public art (here) have been condemned for being a type of ‘guilty art"* – and Bunjil may perhaps fall into that category.

Bunjil may also suffer from what Juliana Enberg, Artistic Director for ACCA calls "gargoyle-ism (an approach) that entered in the 1980s which seems to have stuck, and so we have 'cute' folksy kinds of things instead of serious civic statements that have a gravitas."*

For me, Armstrong's Bunjil is seriously, mightily impressive. Gargoyle-like and somewhat 'cute'? Perhaps. But it is one of the artistic highlights of this city. It is also best viewed not in a car – you move too fast and are not usually looking up. Bunjil is best seen on a bike or by foot or by happenstance. You look up and on the horizon there's this enormous bloody great (and quite beautiful) eagle gazing solemnly out to sea.

Stirring stuff. Gravitas aplenty. More please.

Notes:
Photos of 'the big budgie' (as Bunjil is affectionately or sometimes disparagingly known) here.

* Read what the Melbourne art cognoscenti have to say about our public art (and it's not terribly flattering).

More here too.

Comments

[Alex Charchar]

Ah beautiful Melbourne! I moved away from Melbourne about a year and a half ago (now in Qld) and I miss it wildly.

I think Bunjil is something you have to see in person to understand the scale and placement of it. Always made me smile when I'd be on a train coming in/out of the city loop and you'd see him standing strong and tall.

Thanks for the article! Makes me home sick

[The Worst of Perth]

While over here, The Worst of Perth blog has singlehandedly had a 7.5 tonne public sculpture removed and banished to the outskirts of the city. The power of a blog to reshape the city. Who would have thought it possible?

The Worst of Perth
Art, Culture, Architecture and Humanity

[The Worst of Perth]

I may have missed adding the link to my comment
http://theworstofperth.com/2008/03/18/the-triumph-of-the-worst/

[Andrew Haig]

More public art announced to sit beside the new EastLink freeway (between Donvale and Frankston)... and one of the pieces is a huge blackbird (!). http://www.theage.com.au/news/arts/driven-to-distraction-by-art/2008/03/18/1205602382426.html

More: http://www.connecteast.com.au/page.aspx?cid=570

The PDFs there have info on the blackbird sculpture.

More!: http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/a-trip-on-eastlink-will-cost-but-itll-be-a-cultural-experience/2007/11/27/1196036892765.html

[Jerry Andrews]

My parents are visiting us in Melbourne and I took them for a drive around the city and Docklands area and my father was amazed to see this huge art sculpture. He asked me what it is and what it signifies. I was actually lost for words as I never thought about it although I have been working in Melbourne CBD infact in Dockalnds for almost 5 years. I decided to google and find out and was very pleased and surprised to find the history and the reason behind this magnificient work of art. Well done to all those people to worked on this and thanks to my dad.
Best regards,
Jerry