
MORE PROJECTS
Tiger Brennan Drive Artwork - Darwin Australia
In this 2010 project Tom worked closely with Larrakia Nation Arts and with landscape architects Clouston Associates. This collection of artworks and design treatments creates a powerful experience at the primary intersection when entering the city of Darwin by road. This provided Aboriginal artists from the Darwin region an exciting opportunity to showcase their work.
Large-scale murals and concrete reliefs dominate the parapets and the abutments of two vehicle bridges while the balustrade of a footbridge is a bold sculptural representation of speargrass. Also included are four large sculptural birds. The curatorial vision for Tiger Brennan drive was based on a report Tom Gray produced; this demonstrated an opportunity for artworks along this road to represent the seasons of the Larrakia calendar.
This gateway work represents Gunumeleng’, the pre-monsoon season of hot weather, mounting humidity and developing afternoon thunderstorms. The murals beneath the bridges represent traditional foods from the land and sea available in this season. As the Larrakia are salt-water people, the first bridge represents the land, and the second the sea, and the colours throughout reflect these themes and the landscape itself.
Gateway Public Art - Woods Parade Darwin
This is a demonstration of the visualisation and design thinking behind a major public art initiative. This is a competition concept for a gateway public artwork at the entry to the central business district of Darwin. A change of Government coincided with this competitive tender, and ultimately a new, alternate route to Darwins city centre put a stop to the project.