Understanding ‘To Stalk the Horizon’ - the Harris Road Mural
Designed by Joanna Brown, the noise walls at the Harris Road shared path crossing of the Wilman Wadandi Highway will feature a unique artwork which ties into the project’s Urban Design Strategy.
Published: 05 December 2024, Updated: 06 December 2024
For drivers travelling the length of the Wilman Wadandi Highway, their journey will follow the story of the Noongar Six Seasons. Colours of the Six Seasons, along with community and place themes, have been attributed to zones on the BORR project to communicate an overarching story.
This theme, which is at the heart of the Urban Design Strategy, was developed through consultation with focus groups, including the Aboriginal Heritage Advisory Group, as well as community feedback through public surveys in July 2021.
Joanna Brown is a Western Australian artist who designed the mural on the Harris Road noise walls. Although the mural will be visible to drivers as they travel in both directions on the Wilman Wadandi Highway, it can be seen on a much closer scale by the pedestrians and cyclists using the shared path at Harris Road.
This artwork reflects the Noongar season of Bunuru (the ‘second-summer’ period from February to March) and is inspired by the ancient, flat landscape dotted with trees and irrigation channels.
The design features a horizontal ribbon running along the panels, abstracted as a plant with a stalk stretching across the horizon. This central, continuous line reflects the surrounding landscape and helps portray the timeline of a journey as travellers drive along the highway.
The artwork is built from a series of seven panels that repeat along the length of the wall.
Artist Joanna Brown
Panels 1 and 6
The spherical cap shape depicted in these panels is reflected above and below the thick central line. This shape refers to the Darling Scarp viewed to the east and is repeated in the two panels in different colour combinations. In both, the colours depict the setting sun as it shines over the scarp.
These panels also represent organic pods or the growth nubs of a plant along the central ‘stalk’.
Panel 1 and 6
Panels 2 and 5
The haybale shapes in these panels reflect the rural character of the surrounding landscape. It shows hay in the paddocks during Bunuru when the paddocks are dry, with the colour palette reflecting this season.
Panel 2 and 5
Panels 3, 4 and 7
These panels feature the eucalyptus rudis tree and include stylised depictions of leaves, flower nubs and the flowers. They are also a broader and more general depiction of botanical elements (trees, shrubbery) throughout the mainly rural landscape.
Panels 3, 4 and 7
Viewed at speed, the artwork will offer multiple interpretations. Symbols within the panels, such as hay bales, add depth, reflecting both the rural scenery and the act of traveling through a sequence of scenes. With repeated viewings, new narratives will emerge from the artwork, creating an engaging visual experience.
The mural serves not only as a striking landmark but as an integrated part of the travel experience along Wilman Wadandi Highway, connecting motorists with the landscape and the passage of time.
