Artfully wrapped utility boxes

An art competition in Leichhardt will take the sting out of traffic jams by making colourful canvases out of its signal boxes.

The inner-west suburb’s annual Inside/Out of Sight art competition will  convert the street’s eyesores into eye-candy. Artists will create new shells for the eight traffic signal boxes to be on display for the next two years.

The Mayor of Leichhardt, Rochelle Porteous said:  “These eight designs will add to the other 37 traffic signal boxes in the area that are now creative art canvasses, instead of targets for illegal tagging.”

“We get so many comments about the great designs that are already out there on our signal boxes,” she said.

The Council-run competition offers emerging artists the chance to showcase their talent with public art installations.

“This is the last chance for our local artists to grab one of these great unclaimed public display spots.”

“Our judges will be looking for artworks that evoke a sense and spirit of place, designs that reflect the unique history of the locations,” Ms Porteous said.

One of the finalists from 2010 and 2011, Soraya Abidin, said she believed the competition provided street artists with the appropriate opportunity to create art.

“Insight / Out of Sight brings public artists legal avenues to display their work. There are so many dormant spaces in the urban environment that beckon to be a nominated space for artworks,” she said.

“A large part of street art and belonging to a community, is interacting with your surroundings. This can be seen in artworks that create a conversation with the space or vacant spaces that invite an occupant.

“Leichhardt Council has acknowledged this by recognising that the abundance of RTA boxes are perfect canvases for artwork.”

Ms Abidin’s artwork, entitled Marion, came third in 2010 and can be seen on the corner of Marion and Flood Streets.

“I was inspired by black and white photography from eras of the past and I created a design that would look like a 3D photo negative,” she said.

“Whilst the work itself was a success, uplifting colour is an important aspect for consideration throughout the judging process.

“I have always enjoyed the little marks people make in public. They let us know where we are, where we have been and trends of that time,” the artist said.