Leichhardt Council promotes wall and piece

A month ago the wall below the BP station on Evans St and Victoria Rd in Rozelle was another uninspiring grey spot in the urban jungle.

Now, a few dozen spray cans and a huge dose of imagination later, the wall features a fantastic grey-shaded giant crocodile winding its way through a hundred year history of the street with bygone terrace houses, a sewing machine factory and the old Balmain Power station.

The piece by 22-year old Dutch artist Koen Harmsma is a finalist in Leichhardt Council’s Wall2Wall mural competition.

Koen’s artwork is up against Selina McGrath on Nelson Street, Annandale, and one by Laura Ives and Helen Proctor on Moore Street, Leichhardt for $2500 in prize money from Leichhardt Council.

The council also supplied paint and support for the finalists for three weeks of solid work resulting in fabulous pieces that add colour and interest to the area.

Koen has been in Sydney for six months since graduating from art school in Rotterdam, Holland.

There’s an irony that the site of his mural is a BP service station as he has referenced the oil giant in previous works. A recurring theme in Koen’s work is the clash of industry and wildlife. After the devastating Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010, Koen inked an illustration of BP’s drilling equipment mounted on the body of a giant squid on the sea floor, sucking the life out of it.

But his latest work in Rozelle – while not getting away from the nature theme – is site specific and infused with visual clues to a partly hidden history of the area. An oversized sewing machine with the brand Shawn’s references the old factory that was once the prominent landmark of what used to be called Westons St. The grey-shaded croc weaves its far reaching tail around timeless terrace houses and telegraph wires, while the sewing machine stitches it onto the old Balmain power station.

“The image has to tell a story but from an illustrators perspective it just has to look good,” Koen said. “I like to put in a lot of detail so when people look at it they keep discovering new stuff in the drawing.”

Koen said it’s excellent local councils are supporting public art and has also entered a competition with the City of Sydney Council.

Yet in NSW, Barry O’Farrell’s government is coming down hard on graffiti. Under new legislation being introduced by the state Government, young people caught drawing unsanctioned graffiti will be made to face court and could be stripped of their drivers’ licences. Only the Greens are opposing these tough new anti-graffiti laws.

The winner of Leichhardt Council’s Wall2Wall competition winner will be announced tonight. There is also a second prize of $1500 and a third prize of $750.

More info and illustrations: www.leichhardt.nsw.gov.au/Wall-2-Wall.html and

www.koenharmsma.com and www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/cityart

Check Hotel Kwanza art project on: vimeo.com/16431445