NOT like site - Post #3, textures

Below are some of the textural components that make up my Not Like site.

They include brick, bronze, brown paper, concrete, dead leaves, dying grass, flower petals, glass bottles, iron, newspaper and wood.

Indigenous Melbourne

Today historian, Gary Presland, whose work focuses on Indigenous people of south eastern Australia, gave an insightful lecture on Indigenous Melbourne.

He provided an introductory overview of the social organisation of indigenous Australians in the Melbourne region, particularly during the time of European invasion.

At the time of European invasion, a large part of central southern Victoria was owned by a loose confederation of five language groups who identified themselves as the 'Kulin' nation.

In traditional Koorie society the most common day-to-day group was the foraging band, composed generally of one or two families, plus visitors. The most important social group, however, was the clan. The clan was the land-owning unit in traditional society and was also the group with which an individual Koorie would firstly identify herself or himself. All members of a clan spoke the same language and identified with a particular area of land, or estate, which they regarded as their own. In traditional Koorie society a number of clans who spoke the same language and had adjacent estates made up a larger group usually referred to as a tribe. The tribal territory was the total area of the clans estates.

It was particularly interesting to learn about the variance of language and how language groups differences were often based on the expression of the negative.

The 'Kulin' nation was made up of language groups which included Boon Wurrung, Taun Wurrung, Woi Wurrung, Djadja Wurrung, Watha Wurrung and Ngan-illam Wurrung.

The word 'kulin' was common to all the languages and meant 'human being'.



Reference:
Presland, G. (1994) Aboriginal Melbourne, Penguin, Victoria

Theory of Art and Public Space - Land Art and Spiral Jetty

Next week I have to give my class presentation and hand in the accompanying paper for the subject Theory of Art and Public Space.

I decided to focus my presentation on Land Art and after some consideration, a bit of self realisation as to what is actually achievable in the time available, I have decided to focus my Land Art exploration through an examination of the best known example from the movement, Sprial Jetty (1970) by Robert Smithson.

LIKE Site - Post #2, documenting the site

I spent a lot of time documenting the Morell Bridge site today including taking lots of photos of surfaces and listening to the many layers of sounds that accompany the site.

The site is used from above on the bridge surface itself and below due to activity on the water and river banks.

Below are some photos taken from a number of different angles to give a "feel" for the site.


Looking north along the surface of the bridge.


Looking south along the surface of the bridge


Looking west from on top of the bridge at the city.


Looking east from on top of the bridge including the Nylex sign and silos.



From below the bridge looking west towards the city


From below the bridge looking east along the bike path.


The view from underneath the bridge.

NOT like site - Post #2, documenting the site

Today I went back and took the second round of photos of my "don't like" site. The conditions today were different as the weather is very sunny and warm. It is also a week day so activity in the area was different to that of a Saturday.

I spent quite a bit of time documenting the surfaces and materials and a long time just "listening" to the site so I can start formulating what elements make up the soundscape of the site.

I have also started digging into the historical significance and role of the site but I am only at the very early stages of that exploration.

The site, which I have yet to determine the exact measurements is made up of two tiers of activity.

The first tier is an elevated "grassed hill" on the northern site which features a bronze sculpture of a dog in the middle of it and one tree. The first tier is boarded by a low bluestone fence to the north, a brick wall covered in bougainvillea to the west, steps and yellow brick reinforcements to the south and a footpath that separates if from the road to the west.

The second tier is partially enclosed by red brick walls to the north and east. The walls are partly covered by creeper plants and also feature decorative steel wall sculptures with green painted park benches beneath them. The rest of the space is landscaped in asphalt and concrete which form "wavey" steps. There are some liquid amber trees which are embedded into the concrete. The space is boarded on the south side by an integrated footpath the separates the space from Bridge Road.

Between the two tiers boarded by yellow brick is a mound of "grassed area".

Below are some photos taken from a number of different angles to give a "feel" for the site.

Looking South East onto the site from Hoddle street through the traffic.

NB: It is worth noting that I took this photo at about 9:00am on a Saturday morning when the traffic is considered to be "very light."

Looking North from Bridge Street up to Hoddle onto the first tier of the site.



Looking South from the back of the first tier of the site onto the intersection of Bridge Street and Punt Road


Looking North West from the second tier of the site.


Looking from Bridge Road into the Second Tier of the site

Looking East from Punt Road/Hoddle Street onto Bridge Road

LIKE Site - Morell Bridge Post #1

I have selected my "Like" site for my Place and Space assignment.

The Morell Bridge (formerly known as the Anderson Street Bridge) crosses the Yarra River between the Punt Road and Swan Street Bridges in South Yarra and Richmond and linking the Royal Botanical Gardens to the Olympic Park precinct.

The bridge is located a short walk or even shorter bike ride away from where I live.

I selected the site not only because the bridge is very attractive and has an interesting history but also due to the incredibly high levels of mixed use the site accommodates.

NOT like site - Post #1

I have selected my "Don't Like" site to examine for my Place and Space assignment.

It is situated on the North West corner of the intersection of Wellington Parade, Bridge Road, Punt Road and Hoddle Street.

I took some preliminary contextual photos this morning to commence my analysis and documentation process.

I live two minutes walk away so I am already very familiar with the site and when I mentioned to two friends, who also live nearby, I had selected it they agreed that it was an excellent location to choose to "Not Like."

As a "Not Like" site it offers a great deal of material to examine due to its location, the impact of the surrounding usages and the "art work" currently occupying the space.