ENDEAVOUR HOUSE MURAL COMPETITION
Lymesmith’s Entry for the 2021 Endeavour House Mural Competition, is called ‘Ordinary Luminance’. It is a meditation on the importance of the Bogong Moth for the ecology of the Canberra region.
ORDINARY LUMINANCE
“Juxtaposed with the petrol station, cars and garbage bins, the mural might have been conceived as a billboard, shouting loudly. Instead, ‘Ordinary Luminance’ it is a reminder of the beauty of even the smallest species which must be celebrated and fought for, through collective action and collective reverence. ”
LYMESMITH’S CONCEPT - ‘ORDINARY LUMINANCE’
Since moving back to Canberra two years ago, I haven’t seen a single Bogong Moth. I remember we used to see them swarming Parliament House, the problems they caused made the news headlines.
The decline of the Bogong Moth population is a disaster for the ecology of the Snowy Mountains, and for countless species along their migration route.
I chose the Bogong Moths for this mural because they are so ordinary looking, small and grey-brown. They can be something of a nuisance to people. They’ll never be a poster child for environment and climate campaigns. And yet, they are an integral part of Canberra’s distinct beauty. Studied in detail, understood as part of a complex ecosystem, and seen en masse, they are absolutely extraordinary.
How can we, as citizens of the ACT, adapt our behaviours to support the survival of the Bogong Moth, and by extension, the Mountain Pygmy Possum, the Flame Robin, Raven, Pied Currawong, the Rainbow Trout, and so many other inter-dependant species?
“I wanted to emphasise the beauty of the so-called dull or neutral colours of the moth and weave them into the local streetscape in a way that is both rich and understated.”
This is an artwork entirely covering one side of a building, as such, it takes on characteristics of the building through its colour palette.
Glimpsed from multiple vantage points, but almost never seen in entirety, the mural rewards close as well as distant viewing.
COLOUR + PROCESS
Colour is the starting point in all Lymesmith murals. The palette develops in response to the site of the work, and the subject matter, creating a dynamic harmony.
I wanted to emphasise the beauty of the so-called dull or neutral colours of the moth and weave them into the local streetscape in a way that is both rich and understated.
This is an artwork entirely covering one side of a building, as such, it takes on characteristics of the building through its colour palette.
The mural design is arranged with consideration to multiple vantage points. Striking from a distance, yet its finer details reward closer viewing.
The background fabric of colours was created from 100’s of images of Bogong moths. They represent both the scales on the moth’s wings, and their appearance when clinging in their billions on the cave walls of the Snowy Mountains.
Above all, the intention for this mural is to beautify the streetscape of Manuka, and to inspire local action for our local environment.
