A TOWERING inferno of an artwork by abstract artist Kerrie Warren will make its debut an outer wall at the Frankston Arts Centre this month.
The 4 metre by 6 metre piece, entitled ‘The Bonfire’, by the former Frankston resident is reminiscent of the works of Jackson Pollock and will be displayed on four panels outside the arts centre.
Council hopes The Bonfire becomes a focal point on Davey St. Mayor Cr James Dooley said it is the first in a series of artworks to be installed in Frankston’s centre and along the foreshore.
“Frankston is developing a reputation as one of Melbourne’s key destinations to experience arts and culture. We look forward to announcing the additional sculptural pieces that we’ll be adding to our public art collection soon,” Cr Dooley said.
The Bonfire will cost $10,000 to display and exhibit for three years and will be funded from council’s annual public art budget, set at $120,000 this financial year.
The mayor said council welcomes any opportunity to support local artists but ultimately quality, aesthetic appeal, value and appropriateness for a display space take precedence.
“Not all of Frankston City’s public art acquisitions are currently on display. There are more pieces we look forward to unveiling this April,” Cr Dooley said.
Warren said she was looking forward to working with council to install The Bonfire at the arts centre.
“Photographer Darryl Whitaker has popped in a couple of times to organise and take very high resolution images of ‘The Bonfire’ for the Frankston City Council and I then worked with Simon Griffin to prepare the image for print… it looks fabulous!” she said on her kerriewarren.com.au website.
Council advised the last independent audit of municipal artworks, carried out in July 2011, valued the city’s public arts collection at about $1.7 million. This figure excluded works owned by McClelland Gallery and Southern Way who display artworks along Peninsula Link.
Cr Dooley said “the majority of cultural highlights across the city” can be viewed by the public for free.
