Perth’s Central Business District recently received a stunning new addition. Stretching 22-feet tall, the Boonji Spaceman, a colourful but wistful looking astronaut sculpture created by US artist Brendan Murphy, now stands proudly in his home. The captivating art piece named Lightning stands imposingly outside of Council House in Stirling Gardens. It seeks to entertain and demonstrate the unmatched creativity of the local community. The installation of this new piece has sparked a passionate discussion among local artists and art supporters. Most are clamoring for the restoration of the Ore Obelisk, which was yanked decades ago because it posed a public hazard.
Brendan Murphy presenting the Boonji Spaceman to the City of Perth. He placed similar installations in cities including London, Oslo, Dubai and Antigua. The city estimated it spent between $150,000 and $250,000 on preparing the site, transporting and installing the sculpture. This public investment brings the work of leading contemporary artists and transforms the urban environment. The phrases “dream big” and “City of Light,” which spans nearly the entire width of Boonji Spaceman’s torso, symbolize the vision of the community.
A Gift and a Vision
Brendan Murphy wants to tap into the transformative power of art to energize the community spirit. That’s one of the reasons why he chose to gift Boonji Spaceman to Perth. And finally, he shared his hope to make work that connects people.
“First of all I’m not an American artist. I’m an artist, and my role … is to bring people together and to try and create works that inspire people.” – Brendan Murphy
Murphy is confident that Boonji Spaceman will have a positive enlivening effect on Perth. Like in other cities where the installation has been shown, he hopes to achieve similar results.
“I’ve seen it bring people together and … in most cases, I think people will be proud because it’s a very forward-looking, forward-moving sculpture. It’s very contemporary.” – Brendan Murphy
The sculpture will remain in its temporary site for one year. After that it will be relocated to a different location around the city, allowing even more residents the opportunity to experience it.
Controversy Over Public Art
Others welcome the Boonji Spaceman as a cultural fetish of radical optimism. That said, many others express sadness that important historic elements like the Ore Obelisk are left to die. Helen Curtis is an arts and public art consultant and the organizer behind the campaign to Save the Kebab. This project would see the repair of Ore Obelisk, a 15-metre-tall memorial that marked the growth of Western Australian mining industries during the 1960s and 1970s.
These concerns overall lead Curtis to question the city’s priorities when it comes to public art installations.
“Let’s look after what we have first, right? That should be our priority. The Ore Obelisk — why didn’t the City of Perth look after that?” – Helen Curtis
She believes it’s really important to protect local culture and history, explaining that these pieces are an important part of what makes Perth, Perth.
“These are really important parts of our heritage. They’re our own Perth story.” – Helen Curtis
This debate between new and old art forms has generated critical and impassioned discussions about cultural value in Perth. Importantly, it has raised questions about which forms of public art deserve to take center stage across the city.
Leadership and Community Response
As a member of the Contemporaries group, gifted Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas played a critical role in championing the acquisition of Boonji Spaceman. Zempilas stood down from council earlier this year after winning election to state parliament. His citywide support for the murals has earned him both praise and backlash from members of the community over their opposing opinions about public art.
Residents are already making their opinions known on Boonji Spaceman. The conversation around the future of other public artworks, such as Minneapolis’ Ore Obelisk, is starting to ramp up! Many feel a sense of attachment to historical pieces and question why resources were allocated for new installations instead of restoring existing ones.
Murphy is still optimistic about the community’s acceptance of the project.
“I’m hopeful and pretty confident that everyone will come together once they experience the sculpture and I think they’ll be proud of it.” – Brendan Murphy
Perth is currently undergoing an exciting public art renaissance. The talks surrounding Boonji Spaceman have concluded, the knowledge shared will continue to inform the city’s future artistic plans.
