Pavement Art Gallery

[Peter Voice]

A 1997 pavement art picture that is taking an unexpected (and unwanted but possibly very valuable) turn.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christchurch-In-Spires/118317748248315?sk=info

[Peter Voice]

My Swan Song

27 years ago I was repeatedly arrested in Melbourne, among other places, for defacing public property. Last weekend was the 150th birthday of the National Gallery of Victoria (Australia's oldest and most prestigious) and their plan was to commission 15 events to represent each decade of the gallery's history of collection. The events would create a trail between the NGV's 2 galleries on St Kilda Road and Federation Square.

I was the first stop on the trail. My brief was to "react", using my art form, to the first Australian painting that the gallery actually purchased. It was a very conservative but sort of beautiful epic landscape called "Spring View of the Mitta Mitta Valley toward Mt Bogong (1860)" by an Austrian (sic) painter Eugene Von Guerard. The guy was a serious explorer doing astounding works of remarkable places (NZ too) in the mid 19th century and there is every reason to think may have had a hand in drawing the map I used (published 1862)

It rained every day during lead up so the picture isn't as complete as I would have liked (the other form of compass and the ubiquitous traveler's pocket knife would have made it stronger). It wouldn't have happened without Beverly Isaac's help as she is responsible for reducing Von Guerard's enormous oil painting back to a field sketch (much kudos). The pics were taken early Sun morning before the (really good) crowds arrived.

It seems like a nice note on which to bow out, I'm way too old for this, it nearly killed me.

Thanks to every-one who has supported my work and trusted me, it has been quite a journey.

A fond Adeiu

[Mr.Taxi Trix]

Beautiful piece of work, Peter.

[Peter Voice]

Thanks Taxi, did you have a look at the Christchurch pictures, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christ...248315?sk=info . There's 2 new ones coming up in the next few days. The attached is one in progress, it's come a fair way since though.