Durer’s travelling paradise, 2021/ 2024
Previously situated beside Whanganui’s historic tramsheds and now relocated to Virginia Road and Great North Road, ‘Durer’s Travelling paradise’ (2021) consists of two mural engravings on a pair of bus shelter structures. They are designed in response to the shelters purpose of creating a safe waiting or alighting space, as the shelters are used by Tranzit to collect and drop off travellers coming from or going to different parts of Whanganui. Using the motif of different paces of travel from Aesops fable, The Tortoise and the Hare as a starting point, the local motif From the mountains to the sea was adopted to provide a relevant setting.
From there, each area was visited and studied to create content and feel. The surrounding plants and animals represent your fellow travellers and the changing scene, while incorporating ‘Whanganui’ and a double Raranga weave around the base of each shelter enables place and space identification. The weave in particular was created with the idea of gathering, making the space of a large basket like entity for travellers personal space and to create privacy to render luggage less visible.
These shelters were made possible by the Whanganui District Council Public Arts fund and The Eleanor Burgess Trust. The Shelters are provided by Horizons District Council and maintained by Whangnaui District Council.
Tortoise by Ruapehu Shelter, originally made in 2021, damaged panels remade in 2024, installed 3rd July 2024. Large panels 1200mm square, weaving panels 600 x 1200mm.
Hare by the Awa Shelter, originally made 2021, damaged weaving panels remade 2022, installed in its new home on Great North Road June 2024.
Large panels 1200mm square, weaving panels 600 x 1200mm.
