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News Archive May 2011 Street scenes brighten stations
| Street scenes brighten stations |
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| Thursday, 26 May 2011 |
The art splashed across Chancellor House stations is a vibrant reflection of the colour of Joburg street life.
Conversations, says artist Conrad Kemp, encourage dialogue between people THE Chancellor House stations are in an historic part of town – and a must see stop for any visitor to Johannesburg. STATION ARTLike other Rea Vaya stations, the two stations are adorned with captivating artworks.They are a delight to look at and their meanings are a wonder to decode. On the westbound station, the art is of people carrying on with their everyday lives. People move around in the city: old women hold small children by the hand as they cross the streets; newspaper boys try to sell one more paper; and schoolchildren walk to school. “I walk around the streets of downtown Joburg and am inspired by the colours, the shapes, the textures; by the clothing, the products, the signage, the artwork,” says Yda Walt, the artist who made the work. She is inspired by “the dignified form of a man in a herringbone coat and hat, by the eye-blinding pink of the Shangaan woman’s skirt”, she explains. “By the swing of easy movement of the Omo lady’s walk, by the texture of the baskets strung around the baskets seller’s body, by the interesting contrasts of colours and shapes in the plates of fruit and vegetables laid out for sale on the pavements.” Each day, this westbound station, on Commissioner and Ntemi Piliso streets, transports thousands of commuters exiting Joburg; its eastbound counterpart carries passengers into the city. EASTBOUNDArtwork on Chancellor House Eastbound Station is of speech bubbles suggesting that passengers are conversing with each other. According to the artist, Conrad Kemp, this is to encourage dialogue between people.“Look at those around you; imagine what their realities could be, and what you might share with them,” Kemp says. “Think about the city and those who live and work and play here. And have fun.”
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