Visitors to Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library have been greeted with more than 300 public artworks, monuments, memorials and industrial objects.
The newly opened $21.864 million facility opened to the public on August 1 with a sculpture by Alex Knox and mural by Jeff Raglus.
Standing at the front of the library at 5.4 metres, Knox’s The Moment a Droplet sculpture shows the nano second when a flying water droplet is disrupted. At this transformative moment, you can see both the perfect order of a droplet and the explosive, shape-shifting undoing of form as it reacts to change.
This imagining of a tiny water droplet transforming into a new state reflects Armstrong Creek’s transformation from regional hamlet to a thriving urban centre.
The sculpture’s droplet form consists of two spheres, echoing the spherical motif in the building’s circular cut outs, and was positioned with the help of Augmented Reality modelling.
A large-scale mural called the Innermost Journey to the Centre of the Mind is found inside the library, depicting the intricate inner workings of a stimulated brain.
The whimsical creation from Surf Coast artist Raglus shows horns blowing steam, cogs turning and mischievous gremlins scurrying around delivering messages to long-forgotten corners of the mind.
Raglus re-imagined an original painting called Brainworks by painting a 1.5-metre-long artwork that would fit the library’s aesthetic, reflect the creativity that libraries foster and be more engaging to children.
The brush strokes and use of thick paints can be seen throughout the artwork, making it look like it was painted directly onto the wall rather than being photographed and printed onto vinyl.
Deputy Mayor Anthony Aitken encouraged community members to check out the newly opened library on Main Street, Armstrong Creek.
“We commissioned these special artworks to inspire creativity, learning and a sense of fun, and residents have enthusiastically embraced them,” he said.
