Public Art

PUBLIC ART GILLIE AND MARC


Gillie and Marc
Unit 16, 77 Bourke Road, Alexandria Sydney, NSW, 2015, Australia Telephone: +61 2 9700 7103 www.gillieandmarc.com
Copyright © 2016 Gillie and Marc
Schattner (art) and Emma Salkild (text)
All photography by Gillie and Marc unless stated otherwise All rights reserved
Designed by Gillie Schattner
Printed by Shenzhen Candidus Printing Group
Cover
Flying Fish
Fibreglass and bronze paint 500 x 320 x 100cm 2015 Photography by Jessica Wyld
Back page
Gillie and Marc painting in their studio


PUBLIC ART GILLIE AND MARC


CONTENTS
ABOUT GILLIE AND MARC ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES UNIFIES THE COMMUNITY ENCOURAGES INTERACTION MAKES A STATEMENT INCREASES VISITORS CREATES A DESTINATION LASTS FOREVER
BIO TESTIMONIALS CONTACTS


Photography by Jessie Schattner
ABOUT GILLIE AND MARC
‘THE WORLD DEPENDS ON CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS TO CHALLENGE LIFE AS WE KNOW IT. WE PULL APART THE WORLD SO IT CAN BE PUT BACK TOGETHER AS SOMETHING DIFFERENT.’
Gillie and Marc have worked side by side for over 25 years. The husband and wife team has received critical acclaim and their paintings and sculptures are held in major collections all over the world.
In 2006 they were finalists of Australia’s coveted Archibald Prize and in 2009 won the Chianciano Biennale in Italy.
Gillie and Marc’s iconic characters, Rabbitgirl and Dogman, tell their own spectacular love story while celebrating the powerful spiritual relationship that can exist between man and animal.
They stand for a celebration of unlikely unions while inspiring us to re- examine the status quo.




ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES
Gillie and Marc have collaborated with over 40 councils and governments worldwide to help them achieve their artistic goals. The artists work in a flexible, collaborative way and are always open to feedback and suggestions.
They’ve used their skill and expertise to: celebrate past events, pay tribute to historical figures such as soldiers and late sports icons, and honour spiritual figures. They’ve helped zoos, hospitals, schools and offices change their own environments in a positive and beautiful way.
In the following chapters you’ll learn how Gillie and Marc’s artwork:
• Unifies the community
• Encourages interaction
• Makes a statement
• Increases visitors
• Creates a destination
• Lasts forever
Gillie and Marc’s creativity and innovation are boundless. All you need to do is ask.


PUBLIC ART SPEAKS TO EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF
THEIR LANGUAGE
GILLIE AND MARC


UNIFIES THE COMMUNITY
Art should be available to everyone but unfortunately not everyone has access to it. Public art reaches all walks of life — from the truck driver driving past with goods to deliver to the local GP walking to her practice.
When you give people access to art, you allow them the opportunity to decide what’s important and discover who they really are. Public art starts a conversation and brings people together.


PIT PONY
SONOMA PARK, COLLINSVILLE, QLD
The Pit Pony Experience Project was a community-driven idea to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the last working pit ponies in Australia. Wharrier and Mr Ed retired from the Collinsville Coal Mine in 1990. The ponies were mates to the miners and symbols of strength and unity to the small town.
The Collinsville community branded together to raise nearly $200,000. Gillie and Marc created a life-sized, pit pony bronze statue that is situated in the centre of the town. The campaign went viral and made news headlines across Australia. The Pit Pony brought a small community together and wowed a nation.
Pit Pony
Bronze Life-size




COMING HOME
101 COLLINS STREET, MELBOURNE, VIC
Gillie and Marc love a challenge. When the artists were commissioned by 101 Collins Street – a Melbourne landmark and home to some of the city’s most influential business people – they knew they had to bring some warmth to this cold and emotionless skyscraper.
A water feature sits in the foyer which the artists wanted to utilise. They made Coming Home, two stunning bronze swans with wings out in full span to show them mid flight, flying home. The artists added a marble plinth just under the surface of the water so the swans look like they’re flying out of a pond. It created an instant atmosphere of companionship in Melbourne’s hectic business district.
Coming Home
Bronze 201 x 200cm




SCHOOL CHILDREN
EMANUEL SCHOOL, RANDWICK, NSW
The Emanuel School is committed to providing educational excellence from preschool to Year 12. The School commissioned Gillie and Marc to make an artwork that would reflect the school motto, “Mind, Spirit, Being” while embracing their Jewish heritage.
Gillie and Marc worked closely with the school’s community including the principal, teachers and students. The artists created a beautiful and nurturing bronze sculpture of the school captain with a younger student holding a kiddush cup. They also decided to install it in front of the school for the children and parents to interact with as they walk by.
“It’s wonderful to see our young ones giving them a hug and even talking to them!” said school principal, Anne Hastings. “Many, many thanks for your time, creativity and passion in making this a reality for us.”
School Children
Bronze Life-size




WILLIAM BARAK
HEALESVILLE SANCTUARY, HEALESVILLE, VIC
Healesville Sanctuary is one of Australia’s most-loved tourist attractions and the best place in Victoria to interact with native wildlife. The not-for-profit organisation is committed to fighting wildlife extinction. It’s also situated next to heritage-listed, Corranderk.
The Sanctuary wanted to pay tribute to William Barak (1824–1903), the
last traditional elder of the Wurundjeri clan and influential spokesman for Aboriginal social justice. Until his death he was the acknowledged leader
at Coranderrk and a liaison between the Government and the indigenous population. Gillie and Marc created a life-sized bronze sculpture that honours Barak as the brave and dignified link between different groups of people, unifying the Victorian community.
William Barak
Bronze Life-size




THE JOURNEY AHEAD
MOSMAN PREPARATORY SCHOOL, SYDNEY, NSW
School can be a daunting place, especially for the kindergarten kids who have never worn a uniform before and might be leaving their parents for the first time.
Mosman Preparatory School commissioned Gillie and Marc to make an artwork that would reflect their school spirit. The artists wanted to give anxious children a sense of community, to feel safe in their “home away from home”.
Rather than the usual sculptures that loom over everyone, Gillie and Marc’s artwork sculpture sits at eye level of the students instantly creating a sense of warmth and friendliness. The older boy puts a comforting arm on the younger one as though guiding him while the younger one looks up to him with admiration. The Journey Ahead reflects the school as a safe space. It’s the perfect example of school spirit and unity.
The journey ahead
Bronze Life-size




MATTHEW BOWEN
HOPE VALE ABORIGINAL SHIRE COUNCIL, QLD
Matthew Bowen is a revered rugby league player and one of NRL’s community ambassadors. He grew up in Hope Vale, an indigenous community in Cape York. Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council commissioned Gillie and Marc to create a sculpture of Bowen.
He’s an inspiring figure to the local community, and a bronze was a fitting tribute. The artists portrayed a strong and muscular Bowen running with the ball, to show off his talent and sporting prowess.
Matthew Bowen
Bronze Life-size




PUBLIC ART LETS YOU TOUCH IT, FEEL IT
AND LOVE IT
GILLIE AND MARC


ENCOURAGES INTERACTION
Touch is a natural human instinct. As children, we’re desperate to feel everything but by the time we’re adults we keep our hands to ourselves. Public art means no gallery attendant shadowing you. It allows people to rediscover their natural instincts to reach out and touch.
You can’t interact with a building or a painting, but a sculpture can be patted, hugged and climbed upon. In London’s Trafalgar Square crowds of people from adults to children climb up and ride the lions. Public art turns us into explorers.


PAPARAZZI BOY
CINEASTE GARDEN HOTEL, BEIJING, CHINA
In 2012, Gillie and Marc were commissioned to create something to grab people’s attention for the opening of the Ying Ren Hotel in Beijing’s Huairou District, also known as China’s Hollywood.
The artists created Paparazzi Boy, an eight-metre tall, striking Dogman who only wears a camera and impeccably sculpted six-pack. They chose the national Chinese colour of fire-truck red to further entice attention.
Paparazzi Boy photographed guests as they entered the Hotel’s foyer. The photos were then projected onto the wall inside the lobby as you enter, giving people a taste of what it’s really like to be photographed as a celebrity.
Paparazzi Boy
Fibreglass 8m high
Photography by James Wasserman


Photography by James Wasserman


CRAB RIDERS
WOOLLOOMOOLOO WHARF, SYDNEY, NSW
Crab Riders is a three-piece artwork of large-scale crabs, two of which are ridden by Dogman and Rabbitgirl. It was a part of the Sculpture by the Wharf Festival in Sydney’s glamorous Finger Wharf in Woolloomooloo.
Crab Riders continues the artists’ passionate exploration of environmental issues while encouraging playful interaction from the public. Crabs are resilient and strong, thanks to their thick exoskeleton, and are some of the most ancient creatures to walk among us. The artists wanted the march of the crabs to continue in the face of ocean warming, pollution and acidification.
Gillie and Marc believe we should find compassion for the strangest and scariest animals. Dogman and Rabbitgirl sit peacefully on top of the crabs encouraging us to do the same with the crab who is riderless. Climbing aboard a crab is a unique and clever way to instantly build a bond with these amazing creatures.
One of the crab sculptures has also been permanently installed in Frankston Pier in Victoria.
Crab Riders
Bronze 2.2m high




IT TAKES TWO
PADDINGTON, SYDNEY, NSW
Gillie and Marc believe art should be seen and enjoyed by as many people as possible. The artists also want their Dogman and Rabbitgirl characters to resonate with the community, and they’ve been successful at achieving this.
In 2011, Gillie and Marc jumped at the chance to be a part of Woollahra Council’s Public Art Program – an initiative for artists to give public spaces a creative makeover.
It Takes Two perfectly embodies the culture of the suburb of Paddington in Sydney. “Paddington is an inner city urban community, where car parking
is difficult and coffee shops are plentiful,” said Marc. “So our Dogman
and Rabbitgirl are on a Vespa drinking a cappuccino. They represent the archetypal Paddington couple.” In fact, the portrayal is so spot-on that locals love to dress them up, while visitors enjoy getting their photo taken with the creative couple.
It Takes Two
Bronze 147 x 143 x 55cm




RUN FOR YOUR LIVES
FEDERATION SQUARE, MELBOURNE, VIC
When Gillie and Marc were invited by Federation Square in Melbourne to make something for their Creative Program, the artists wanted to use it as a platform to give a voice to the voiceless. Seven hundred black rhinos were slaughtered in 2013, marking it as the bloodiest year for poaching. The black rhino is critically endangered and could be extinct in less than two years.
The artists created a remarkably high-tech installation that brought the call of the wild to the city. It featured three magnificent rhino sculptures that invited the public to be part of their run for freedom.
When someone climbed on the rhinos it would set off a recording of poachers shooting guns, followed by a rhino stampede. Millions of people passed through Federation Square and were only to eager to climb up on a rhino to create awareness about this endangered species. The event quickly went viral on Instagram too.
Run for your lives
Bronze Life-size
Photography by William Watt


Photography by William Watt




Photography by William Watt


LAVALLA TABLE
ST AUGUSTINE’S COLLEGE, CAIRNS, QLD
Gillie and Marc were commissioned by St Augustine’s College in to create an artwork the students could enjoy while also teaching them religious history.
The artists flew to Cairns to meet with the principal and administration to brainstorm initial ideas. They came up with four ideas and then relayed them to the students. The final product was Lavalla Table, named after the village in France where St Marcellin Champagnat established the world’s first Marist school. The table also includes two statues of boys talking to each other.
After it was put into the playground, it became a huge hit. It’s strong enough so the children can sit at the table and have the lunch. The feedback has been they’re on it everyday and the students love being a part of this important historical event.
Lavalla Table
Bronze 190 x 150cm




TANDEM RIDERS
BEAUFORT STREET, PERTH, WA
Perth’s Beaufort Street represents the city’s artistic flair. After winning a tender for a street sculpture, Gillie and Marc were able to cement their artwork right onto the road itself, among the cars.
Tandem Riders ticks all the council-requested boxes. “Local councils need public art that engages the community, brings together different constituents, and sends a message about the area,” said Marc. “This bike addresses the city’s environmental concerns, and the characters represent diversity – they appeal to all races, genders, and identities in a universal way.”
Children in particular love to climb onto Rabbitgirl’s lap and help her steer the bike. Rabbitgirl is also taking a photo and when passersby see her camera
it works as a reminder that this is a place worth remembering. Visitors then snap their own shots of the vibrant area.
Tandem Riders
Bronze Life-size
Photography by Jeremy Atlan of 3P Photography


Photography by Jeremy Atlan of 3P Photography


HENRY LAWSON
CNR OF FORBES & MAIN STREET, GRENFELL, NSW
Gillie and Marc were commissioned by the Henry Lawson Festival Committee and Weddin Shire Council to create a life-sized statue of Henry Lawson to
go into his birth town, Grenfell. The artists were given a strict eight-month timeframe and stuck to that for the 2014 unveiling and opening of the Henry Lawson Festival.
The artwork included a life-sized Henry Lawson sitting on a bench and included a light display. The artists were also keen to portray him as bohemian artist and troubled soul. They didn’t want him on a plinth, towering above people. Instead, a relaxed Lawson is poised, pen in hand on a park bench encouraging others to sit next to him and reflect on their surroundings.
Henry Lawson
Bronze Life-size
Photography by Denise Yates


Photography by Denise Yates


PUBLIC ART CAN TRANSFORM THE ORDINARY INTO THE
EXTRAORDINARY
GILLIE AND MARC


MAKES A STATEMENT
Public art allows you to see life differently. It communicates an idea or a concept. A statue of a friendly labrador outside the front gates of a school can help turn an overwhelmed and frightened child into someone who feels safe and welcome.
Public art can talk about the importance of diversity, the impact of climate change or our obsession with celebrities. Public art says, “Listen up, this is important!”


ST LUCY’S DOG
ST LUCY’S SCHOOL, SYDNEY, NSW
St Lucy’s is a Dominican Catholic primary school that provides education for those with disabilities,” said Gillie. Jo Karaolis was the principal of St Lucy’s School up until her retirement and she wanted to give the children a parting gift. “We were contacted by Jo to create something that would make the kids less afraid of leaving their parents for the day,” Gillie continued.
Saint Dominic is always represented with a dog and a torch because Dominic’s mother supposedly had a dream when she was pregnant with him that she was giving birth to a dog who would run through the countryside with a torch in its mouth.
The life-sized bronze Labrador is a new representation of Saint Dominican symbology. “Labs are one of the friendliest types of dogs, and this was placed outside the front of the school to enchant the pupils – especially on their first day.”
St Lucy’s Dog
Bronze Life-size
Photography by Jessie Schattner


Photography by Jessie Schattner


PYRAMID
ALBION PARK, FORBES, NSW
Gillie and Marc created Pyramid as a symbol of a perfect balance of community and friendship. However, after donating it as part of the Forbes Sculpture Trail, not everyone from the town was feeling the community spirit. In the lead-up to the 2014 NRL Grand Final, rival fans dressed the artwork in Bulldogs and Rabbitohs team colours.
“I love (the sculpture), but I know my community is divided over it,” said Forbes Mayor, Phyllis Miller. “I find it quite bizarre that anyone can find anything sexual in it. I know there’s genitalia but it’s about diversity. And I even see humour in it.”
Forbes Arts Society president Keith Mullette said nudity had brought out Forbes’ ‘conservative heritage’. He also said he loved the statue and it had already drawn tourism dollars to the town. “It’s been the most photographed thing in town for the past 12 months.”
Pyramid
Bronze 190 x 170 x 160cm




HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR PRESIDENT XO
WESTFIELD BONDI JUNCTION, SYDNEY, NSW
Rabbitgirl and Dogman represent a loving friendship between a very unlikely couple. Their very existence helps us become more open-minded. Through sculpture, the humbling of mankind can be further intensified. “The utilisation of size and scale makes us realise what we’re looking at,” said Marc. “When you’re having a bad day, go look at a big sculpture. It changes everything.”
Portraying Rabbitgirl as the iconic Marilyn Monroe being photographed by one of the artist’s paparazzi dogs, highlights our obsession with celebrities in an amusing way. Using humour is both an accessible and enjoyable way to re-examine our relationship with celebrities.
Happy Birthday Mr President xo
Bronze Life-size




BLACK RHINOS
DUBBO REGIONAL AIRPORT, DUBBO, NSW TARONGA WESTERN PLAINS ZOO, DUBBO, NSW VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE, DUBBO, NSW
In 2012, four rhinos mysteriously died in Targona’s Western Plain Zoo in Dubbo including a mother and her calf. Gillie and Marc wanted to create an artwork in their memory while also raising awareness for rhino conservation.
Three black rhino mother and calf sculptures were installed at the Visitor Information Centre, the Dubbo Regional Airport and the front of the Zoo. “These sculptures reflect the community’s pride in the Zoo and the research and conservation endeavours that take place right here in our city,” said Mayor of Dubbo Councillor Mathew Dickerson. “I believe the sculptures in themselves may become iconic city attractions.”
Each rhino sculpture is a memento to the rhinos that were lost. It is a constant reminder of this endangered species and a message to protect threatened animals.
Black Rhinos
Bronze Life-size




ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE
BARKER COLLEGE, SYDNEY, NSW
The Old Barker Association commissioned Gillie and Marc to create an artwork to celebrate its 125th anniversary. The brief was “dare to dream ... anything is possible.” Gillie and Marc created a life-sized figure as a way to make the artwork more relatable for the students.
Gillie and Marc wanted the sculpture to also embody friendship, compassion and commitment, so they had one Barker student carrying another younger student on his shoulders. The younger student, with the help of his friend, is now able to reach for the stars. The feedback from the school was that the sculpture inspires the students to band together and dream big — because as long as you have the help of your friends, anything is possible.
Old Baker Boy Chris Russell (70) unveiled the sculpture and was joined by many special guests including the current Head of Barker, Phillip Heath and former three Headmasters.
School Children
Bronze Life-size