South West -based muralist and designer Andrew Frazer was in Collie over the weekend for the Festiv Arty festival.
The public artist worked with Collie’s youth to design and install a mural on the outside wall of Collie River Valley Medical Centre.
Frazer, along with nine of Collie’s youth, worked on Saturday and Sunday to complete the colourful piece, which is an abstract representation of various aspects of the region.
“The design is based around some loose interpretative themes that are responsive to Collie without making it too literal in a sense,” Frazer said.
“I think the most engaging art is the art that makes you think and consider what it could be. We wanted to do something that was bright, vibrant and energetic.”
“Something that aesthetically just had an immediate appeal to it.”
Frazer said the mural references nature-inspired tones. “The flower through the middle was loosely representing the wildflower season and how beautiful it is through the Collie Valley and the surrounds,” he said.
“Part of that was also like a love letter to Collie and just hearing from the kids who live in Collie and a lot of what they shared that are really proud of where they live. We wanted to do something that touched on that notion.”
The youth involved in the project collaborated with Frazer during a workshop prior to the painting process to discuss design and techniques.
“As part of the workshop was developing an understanding of how a design comes together and some input into the actual pattern making,” Frazer said.
Frazer praised the efforts of the group he was working with.
“It was amazing and I commented to a number of people just how impressed I was with the group we had,” he said.
“The collaborated really well, too and that’s what it’s about- people working together.”
