THE Art in the Wheatbelt project at the Avon silos was officially opened last Friday morning by Member for Central Wheatbelt Mia Davies.
CBH Group chief executive Andy Crane praised the partnership with FORM, a non-profit cultural organisation, in bringing world class artwork to the Wheatbelt.
At first, Dr Crane said he was hesitant about the large scale project.
“But now I can’t think of a better way to highlight the Wheatbelt and the grains industry,” he said.
“A real buzz has emerged within CBH and the community at large.”
The silos, standing 36 metres tall and 11 metres wide, were painted by international artists Phlegm and Hense.
The job took two weeks to complete and almost 400 combined man hours.
During this time work continued at the silos.
About 50,000 tonnes of grain was moved over the two weeks with an average of 70 truck movements a day.
FORM chairman Paul Chamberlain said he was grateful to CBH for allowing their silos to be turned into icons.
“As a result the eyes of the world are upon the Wheatbelt,” he said.
“Both artists said the project was one of the most exciting and unforgettable of their careers.”
Mr Chamberlain said FORM had a long term goal of spreading artwork across the entire Wheatbelt region.
“What if this is the beginning of showing off the Wheatbelt, silo by silo, wall by wall?,” he said.
An example of this is artist and designer Chris Nixon recently completing a mural at the corner of Fitzgerald and Grey streets, depicting a vintage vehicle and hot air balloons.
For his silo artwork, artist Phlegm took inspiration from impossible flying machines given the Wheatbelt has a rich history with aviation, from ballooning and gliding.
A goal of the project was to create a contrast of styles, with Phlegm’s black and white piece against Hense’s canvass which pops with colour.
To begin this massive undertaking, the artists started from the top and worked their way down.
Hense had a larger surface area to work with in comparison to Phlegm, with his work finished after 15 days straight of painting.
In total, over 740 litres of paint was used, with the artists accessing the silos via 38 metre knuckle-boom lifts.
Member for Central Wheatbelt Mia Davies said the launch was an exciting day for the Wheatbelt, thanking CBH and FORM for shining a “beautiful light” onto this part of the world and her social media.
“Art starts a conversation and makes us view our environment through a different lens,” she said.
“It helps others see our world, providing a window they may have otherwise overlooked.”
Ms Davies said any future art projects in the Wheatbelt had her support, saying she hopes the silo project inspires people to visit the region and also take an interest in art.
“You have my support in this endeavour and I will do whatever I can to see this come to fruition.”
“I declare this wonderful artwork officially open,” she said.
