By Tyler Wright
Cardinia Shire Council has confirmed there was work done yesterday on public artwork ‘Negative Curl’ in Cockatoo’s McBride Street.
The piece, commissioned by the Shire and created by James Voller as part of the Cardinia Public Art program, is set to be completed and open to the public in coming months.
“There was some more work done on the artwork’s placement yesterday (14 June). It was around lifting and shifting the artwork into its optimum place to best suit the artwork and its surrounds. The next stage after this is the landscaping,” a Shire spokesperson said.
This comes after locals raised concerns over the structure’s location earlier this month, with Cockatoo resident Chris Thompson telling the Star Mail the artwork could have been placed in a more “prominent spot”.
“I’d like to see more art around town – it just would have been nice for it to be put somewhere where people will actually see it,” Chris said.
A Cardinia Shire Council spokesperson also told the Star Mail Council “explored a number of different suitable sites for this piece of artwork, working carefully with the artist and his team, Cardinia’s Ranges Ward Councillors (at that time) and Puffing Billy (as owners of the land at Cockatoo Station which was the mutually agreed final site)”.
“Whilst the artwork itself was completed as originally planned, due to risks associated with other sites and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic it has taken longer than was originally anticipated to place the artwork on site,” the spokesperson said.
“The artwork celebrates the wonderful history of the Cockatoo community incorporating original photos in its design.”
