PUBLIC FACES, PUBLIC
SPACES
Developed during February and March 2003, ‘Public
Faces, Public Spaces’ is a collaboration between contemporary artist
Megan Evans and young residents of the City of Wyndham, in Melbourne’s
outer western region.
The
project is an initiative of the Weerama Festival, Wyndham’s annual community
festival.
The aim of the project was to explore public space from a youth
perspective; encouraging young people to critique community perceptions about
their place in the public domain while also considering their rights and responsibilities
within a wider community context.
Using disposable cameras, during a series of site visits, the young
participants recorded the places they gather together with friends, their
travels within and beyond the neighbourhood and the day to day issues they
encounter as young people living in Wyndham.
The resulting photos and ideas were to form the basis of a contemporary
art installation comprising a photographic collage and video. The installation is designed and integrated
in response to the architecture of the Wyndham Cultural Centre.
Once the photographs were developed, the young people worked with
Megan Evans, grouping their combined photographs into categories. These included: vandalism, graffiti and dodgy places; public
art; transport; faces; and the natural environment. One category featured images they participants felt were simply
great photos. The young people
worked with the Artist to organise these photographs into a series of collages,
which was to comprise the overall installation.
The resulting installation was exhibited at the foyer and library
of the Wyndham Cultural Centre in Werribee from 19 March until 9 May 2003.
Megan Evans also produced a short documentary video as a record
of the project. The video features footage taken during
various site visits as well as during project’s development and production
stages.
