Pit Lane public art unveiled

Hamilton's newest piece of public art will be unveiled next Tuesday 21 July. Passing Red is a dynamic and interactive work by nationally-acclaimed, local artist Gaye Jurisich which sits along the full length of the Hamilton 400 V8 Supercars pit lane on Mill Street as part of the Landscape Mitigation Plan.

The work was chosen from a number of high calibre proposals last year by Hamilton City Council's Public Art Committee.

Artist, Gaye Jurisich says, "My strongest inspiration for the work came from thinking about the way the work would be seen by audiences".

Waikato Museum director, and member of the Public Art Committee, Kate Vusoniwailala says, "That vision of relating the work to the space it sits in is something that was strong in Gaye's vision from the outset and something which the work, now that it is complete, really delivers on.

"Sitting alongside a major arterial route, the work expresses the flow of the site or lanes of the road or race track or the curves and meandering of a river. Depending on the eye that sees it, Passing Red is versatile in its meanings yet connected to the specifics and experiences of the pit lane site."

Passing Red is the second piece of public art funded by Perry Foundation in partnership with Hamilton City Council; the first was the bronze Riff Raff statue located at the south end of Victoria Street.

Working to artist Gaye Jurisich's plans, Passing Red has been constructed by local engineering firm PFS Engineering.

PFS Engineering Managing Director Graham Singleton says, "Most of the work we do is high-end engineering for large international projects, but from the outset we could see the value of this as a local project which not only gives to the city but also to our workforce in being part of something tangible they have created and can pass by everyday in the city. Our understanding of the blend between creative and pure engineering on this project has been a real success and we hope to see more similar projects come through our doors as a result of that winning formula."

Beside the challenges of Hamilton winter, the partnership with PFS Engineering has been one which has really worked, says Jurisich.

"The PFS team have put their heart into this and although getting it right onsite has proved to have its difficulties, we knew it would be really amazing in the end. The work feels like it has found its way there in a meandering kind of way. Strangely enough, it feels as if it is finding its place, sitting there waiting for everyone to leave so it can rest and begin to speak in its own way. It has proved to me that my vision of it was right and that the whole piece, although divided, works as a whole", she says.

Perry Foundation Chief Executive Grant Paterson says that the Perry Foundation Board is proud to be associated with the growing landscape of public art in the city. "Passing Red will certainly add to Hamilton's growing reputation as a vibrant and diverse city and we are delighted to be able to contribute to the Council's vision for Hamilton."

On 23 June Council also approved a grant which will ensure people get even more out of Hamilton's newest cultural asset. The City Development Committee approved up to $5000 from the Economic Development Promotion Fund towards the publishing costs of a booklet telling the story of the V8 Public Art Project. The book will be aimed at a general audience with special emphasis for school use.

The book will be written by Dr Robin Woodward, already an accomplished art writer, a national art advisor and a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland who specialises in sculpture and public art.

Vusoniwailala says, "Dr Woodward's involvement in the project is a good indication of the calibre of the art piece. That high calibre has been carried right through the design and production process - designed by a nationally acclaimed local artist and brought to life by an internationally successful local firm. Passing Red is something Hamilton will be able to be proud of for generations to come."