Artwork aims to mimic wildflowers

When designs for the Rocks Laneway project first appeared in a council agenda last year, Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn described the painted paving as “pretty lairy”.

The Geraldton Guardian tracked down Fremantle artist Trevor Richards, creator of the “lairy” design.

Richards said his brief was to create a “meta-graphic” to invite people to follow a path from the end of Post Office Lane to the square in Marine Terrace, then Rocks Laneway.

“The idea was to give people the impression you are looking down a carpet of wildflowers,” he said.

“Pink is inspired by the Geraldton wax flower, and the dark green is also feeding into the floral concept.”

Richards said five artists used 800 litres of paint and 13km of masking tape to cover 1800sqm of painted surface in a five-week period.

The pattern is 171m in length, and also runs up the walls of the buildings in the laneway.

“There is a bit of shock from the locals but I hope they come to appreciate it as time goes on as something they enjoy,” Richards said.

“I know a lot of people from Fremantle and Perth are keen to have a look at it and I hope it becomes a target for visitors to be photographed in front of it.”

He said the work came with a maintenance plan that included freshening up the paving paint from time to time.

Richards said the artists had all signed the work in an “unobtrusive spot” and he challenged people to find it.

The meta-graphic is part of a project that includes Rocks Laneway and a structure reminiscent of the old Post Office called the “ghost office”.