Magical undergrowth revealed

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Thursday, 28 December 2023

Melbourne-based artist Jack Rowland has captured the magic on the doorstep of Ferntree Gully in one of the suburb’s newest murals.

At the Apollo Service Station, on the corner of Forest and Underwood Roads, you will find his 36-metre long mural titled Undergrowth (Ferns and Fungi).

“It’s painting the natural world and putting my own psychedelic and magical colourful lens on the landscape,” Jack says.

“I went for a drive quite close to Ferntree Gully Village, about three or four minutes up the road from where the mural is, and walked around the beautiful trees and ferns and discovered lots of beautiful mushrooms and fungi growing. The mural consists of a lot of the macro and micro elements from the exploration of the surrounding area.

“Very often when I head up there, there’s a lot of beautiful mist so I wanted to incorporate that. “I aim to give the viewer a new, fresh look at something that may be quite familiar, which would be the unique landscape. The mist is a green colour, which for me amplifies the magic of the area.”

The mural is part of Council’s Ferntree Gully Creative Placemaking Plan, which uses art to beautify and create interest in the village and improve community safety along key pedestrian walkways.

The plan uses the arts to activate public spaces, eliminate graffiti and build on the unique identity of the village. A number of the public art installations reflect the community-elected themes of nature and the environment, local history, First Nations and diversity.

Jack says the response from community members, who stopped to chat as he painted over two weeks, has been overwhelmingly positive.

“A lot of people comment on how much better it looks than just a wall covered with tags and graffiti,” he says. “A lot of people, young and old, expressed that it adds a bit more pride and interest to the area. “It’s been an absolute pleasure painting and working in an area that’s just so beautiful with a lovely community. It’s an absolutely beautiful part of Victoria.”

The Ferntree Gully Creative Placemaking Plan is being delivered by Council in partnership with the Victorian Government. Council is contributing $130,000 towards the project and has received $110,000 from the Victorian Government’s Living Local Fund Suburban Grants. Follow this project at haveyoursay.knox.vic.gov.au

Magical undergrowth revealed

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