Everyone is well-known
with Patrick Dougherty's enormous nests made of willow saplings; however his
latest "Ballroom" installation at Federation Square in Melbourne
might well be his most determined yet. Willows saplings are considered weeds in
Australia, where their thick canopy, invasive root system and extreme leaf fall
is disparaging to local water systems but the plants offer a great medium for
the American artist's larger-than-life public art installations. For the
Ballroom installation commissioned by the Federation Square Creative Program to
encourage public art at the 3.2 hectare mixed-use space near Melbourne’s
busiest railway station, Dougherty turned to the nearby St. Paul’s Cathedral
for inspiration. Apart from metal scaffolding that keeps the willow structure
erect, the artist uses few tools to prunes and bends the malleable branches to
his visionary will. It took almost three weeks and 10 tons of willows to
realize Ballroom, which features magical arched ceilings and celestial windows
that permit just a smidgen of daylight to penetrate the interior. This distinct
piece on show until early 2013 assists the Australian government manages the
arboreal pest in a way that is both aesthetically pleasing and awe-inspiring.
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