Artworkers was commissioned by Brisbane City Council to create a temporary public art work that celebrates and enhances the development of a new public space at the base of Jacobs Ladder (the stairway linking Edward Street and Wickham terrace). International artist Norbert Francis Attard was chosen to make the work
Attard’s work on the Jacobs Ladder stairway responds to the history (eg its proximity to the windmill, the earliest building in Brisbane) and the unique aesthetics of the site – eg the optical illusion created when viewing the stairs from either above or below.
The artwork sits in a site already containing a range of sculptural forms that have recently been supplemented by the addition of the Pomodoro sculptures from King George Square. This work will introduce a more contemporary based sculptural practice and help to define and enhance the existing sculptures.
From the heart of the city the stair becomes a giant red carpet heralding some major event or distraction to the day to day routines of city life. In fact it celebrates the entry and exit to and from the city by its workers. The red intervention is so strong that it can be seen as far away as Kangaroo point.
The stair also offers an intimate experience of colour. Standing at the top of the stairs the red steps disappear and are replaced by a series of brightly coloured panels which at night are enhanced by light projections that make reference to historical events that have taken place around the stairway.
The artist has sought to develop a complex day and night intervention in a public place that works on a highly aesthetic level but also makes references to the religious significance of the name of the space. For instance one could go as far as to argue that the artist’s use of a crimson red could be seen to symbolise the Christian analogy whereby Christ is seen as being the ladder, bridging Heaven and Earth. And certainly the artist plays with the use of the angel in his projected images, but his reference is not just biblical but also the kitsch use of angels to herald and protect in popular imagery.
The work can be viewed 24 hours a day with the projected images only available from sunset to sunrise. The work will remain up until early next year.
