New Art In Mt Eden
What does the Mt Eden Prison, a dormant volcano and Hamish Carter have in common? They’re all featured as star motifs on a brand-new City Rail Link construction fence in the heart of Mt Eden.
The art piece, called “Around the Maunga” is a 30 metre public sculptural mural depicting a range of stories, people and places from Maungawhau/Mount Eden.
Created by father and son team Jan and Piet Ubels, the installation also promotes sustainability, reusing timber segments from the construction site.
Many well-known figures are referenced in the work, while others are unsung to the general public. Cyril Basset, a Victoria Cross recipient is illustrated next to the K.C. Loo Fruit centre, the former Prime Minister Mike Moore, the St James Church and veteran broadcaster Paul Homes for example.
A further, even deeper layer of references can be found throughout the piece serving as ‘Easter eggs’ that honour the Mt Eden Station project and the Link Alliance team behind it.
The artists say their mural has a visual rhythm that pulls the viewer’s eye back and forth, following along the patterns of colour and shape. The undulating movement has also been bolstered by the repeated motifs of the lava flow and whau flowers, both iconic to the Maungawhau volcanic cone itself.
As a further level of intrigue, the bare timber will also change over time in both colour and form. While shining golden on its installation, the timber segments will silver in colour and warp in shape at different rates under sun. This will cause the artwork to evolve over time, mirroring the evolution and progress of the construction site behind it.
To the artists, this sculptural project was seen as a chance to speak on behalf of the CRL project and compose a love letter from the project team back to the local community.
The Link Alliance’s Diana Veitch, who commissioned the piece, says once she saw the artists’ proposal, it was an instant “yes” from her.
“They’ve done an incredible job making something as simple as a fence around a construction site into a beautiful work of art encapsulating the rich heritage of the area”.