This sculpture celebrates the local plant Kennedia prostrata (running postman)
The work will feature bright slabs of bold and uplifting colour, utilising industrial recycled plastic. Although widely used outdoors, this work will be the first use of this material for a sculpture in Australia.
the green dome is landscaped soil… like a little hill…
As well as providing colourful inspiration, the running postman will also conform to Australian Playground safety standards, allowing children to climb and play on the structure safely.
Running postman is a ground creeper that naturally spreads across it’s landscape, and this allows us to run the work around the park or on landscape features. The artwork pictured shows the work on a soil dome shape as an example.
Modular units and design flexibility
Replicating the natural plant, the sculpture will be a sum of its parts. The sculpture is designed to be assembled from a number of clusters (as pictured with 3 leaves and 2 flowers), with the size and shape being constructed to suit the location. Additionally, we will create 3 or 4 cluster designs with slight variation (as per the natural form).
The units are then joined together to make lengths of leaf clusters that form the plant runners. Each segment’s joint can be angled, allowing the runner to climb over its landscape as well as around it.
Multiple runners radiate from the plan’s central root system giving the form of the plant, allowing flexibility in design.
Materials
Materials have been selected to be sustainably sourced and archivally sound, with a reasonable maintenance-free life in excess of 20 years.
This piece will utilise coloured recycled plastic, sourced from Replas, for the main leaf and flower structures. This will be the first sculpture in Australia featuring this material. For more than 28 years Replas has produced a range of over 200 products and has grown to become Australia’s leading plastic product manufacturers.
Recycled plastic is resistant to termites, microorganisms and moisture, and will never split, rot, crack or need painting. This material has a 20 year lifespan and is graffiti resistant and also resistant to the possible physical abuse in a public space. (More information www.replas.com.au).
Powder-coated mild steel for the supporting frame will provide the strength, durability and longevity required.
Construction Method
Solid plastic sheeting will be routed. Firstly the design is engraved, then the shapes are cut, and then the edges rounded. Finally, holes are drilled for fixing onto the frame.
Steel frames will be welded in units and then powder coated.
The steel frames will be transported and assembled on site. The plastic will then be bolted in place.
The ground form will be designed to suit the specific site, as part of the landscaping, and can be decided with the landscape architect. It is proposed that the main area of the sculpture will be on a raised hill of 2.5 metres, in order to raise up the ground creeping plant and give the most visual impact. .
The gentle sloping of the supporting hill also removes potential fall heights, increasing safety, while still providing height and form for aesthetic impact.
The exact nature of the sculpture underground anchors will be confirmed after consultation with the landscape architects and the engineer on our team. These would likely be formed by steel crossbars attached to the steel frame and set with concrete.