Thursday 7 January 2010

The Dreaming: Earth, sea and air


On the northern end of Bondi Beach - the Ben Buckler peninsula - there is a tidal rock pool which was constructed in the late '60s. In 1987 this tiled mural was created by a bunch of local artisans. There are many aboriginal carvings in the sandstone rocks higher up on the bluff of the peninsula, and the artisans have reflected the essential elements of the beach into a white man's Dreaming.

The style employed by the artisan's is reminiscent of the artwork coming out of Central Australia created by Aboriginal Australians. Elements of the human and physical world enter the vortex of the sacred world and are emblazoned upon the heavens.


Once again, these images were taken in the early hours of the morning. I endeavoured to get reflections of the beach in many of the glass tiles that you can see implanted within the story. However, if the reflection was in focus the artwork was not - and vice-versa. I bet you just love the thoughtful way that the council workers have positioned the bench seat and the garbage bin.

28 comments:

Olivier said...

sur la première photo, on a l'impression que le nageur veut s'envoler avec l'oiseau

Luis Gomez said...

I always loved these murals.

Unknown said...

The mural is simply spectacular. The colors, the texture, the design all blow me away. I have never seen anything quite ike this. If I was there I would be like Bondi man peering close up to inspect all the detail. Thank you for this.

Vera said...

I probably have missed the point, Julie, but all I could focus on was the 'Bondi' bottom!

Anonymous said...

I confess I was a bit distracted initially by the Bondi bottom in your first photo (LOL) but the colorful murals captivated my attention. We have similar views here at the beach where I live. Isn't such art magnificent!
Hugs and blessings,

Woody said...

The tile work is extraordinary and your photos capture them very well! You need to add a complementary 'Bondi' for the males ;-)

lizziviggi said...

The mosaic looks incredibly detailed-- all your pictures make me want to go see it all in person! Also, it was very thoughtful of Bondi-butt to match his swimsuit to the decor.

brattcat said...

Yes, and the bum, too.

Vicki said...

Another stunning shot. The contrast of the "solid" swimmer against the fragmented mosaic mural works superbly. And oh, yes, the eye can't help but be drawn to the the focal BONDI. :)

Joan Elizabeth said...

The top shot is just magic because it tells the whole story without a word!

The murals without seats and bins are beautiful. When I was a child I fell in love with tiled murals and wanted to do something similar myself until when in Canberra I lived next door to someone who had 'done' their very large post box'. Put me right off ... I could be persuaded again seeing a pic like this.

Have you seen any of the aboriginal carvings on the bluff?

Julie said...

Joan: yes, I have, many years ago. In 1956 my grandmother moved to North Bondi, to the eastern end of Blair Street, just below the "stink pipe" of the sewerage outlet. Around that pipe lies the North Bondi Golf Course. Scattered around that course, is a myriad of sandstone outcrops. The carvings are in these outcrops at the mercy of the elements and we white-folk. I will catch the 389 right to the terminus and "hike" up there. Shall do it next week.

Marka said...

Pool time! I've finally been able to start swimming again this week... kinda forgot how relaxing I find it.

Tash said...

The first one is another to add to your 'best of' photo list.
How lovely and colorful.

Thank you for you affirming comments - I value them very much.

Virginia said...

Ahh reminded me of my first year of teaching when B;ham did a salute to Australia and I did some Aborigine art with my third graders. Love love this mural and I'm shaking my head at the benches too!
BONDI bum ain't bad either! :)
V

diane b said...

Love the photo of the guy with your caption on his bum. Funny , I don't remember seeing this mosaic and yet i walked up there last time I visited. Lovely colours.

Julie said...

No no no no no. Wot me? Crass? Never!! They sell cossies like that. With the name emblazoned just there. Honest ...

Gunn said...

Beautiful ( BLUE ) art! I love it!!

Nefertiti said...

superbes mosaique,quel talent et quelle patience !

bonne journee ;O)

VP said...

Wonderful mosaic work. I'm glad you used the term artisan here, because it seems that everybody is an artist today.
Artisans, in my opinion, are at the base of every artistic tradition and, some of them, great artists themselves.
You had some very good ones there, at least in the 60s...

Davine said...

What a wonderful mural. You have captured the colours really well. To answer you question my Dads name is Keith and he turned 91 on Nov. 9th.

cieldequimper said...

Oh wow, this is fantastic. The mural is gorgeous and your first shot is amazing.

Three Rivers, Michigan said...

Awash in blue, glowing with blue! Gorgeous mosaic work, street art at its best. The "Bondi bottom" isn't bad either! Not to mention the composition of the photo, with the man leaning in to the dove. (Macintosh computer had an early model called "Bondi Blue".)
Three Rivers Daily Photo

Unknown said...

Wow, what an incredible wall mosaic!

Jim said...

Thanks for showing this Julie. I don't think I've ever been down there to see this.
Sydney - City and Suburbs

Gena @ thinking aloud said...

Julie - I love the mosaic detail, this is such a great piece of art! and beautifully capture by you!
Gena

michael bird said...

Wow!

Killara girl said...

That's cool, I don't remember that, is it new. I lived there around 1982-84.

Julie said...

*grin*

I guess new is always relative!