Balanced Space

A challenging canvas

Creating murals in the urban environment can be challenging for artists as they confront an unpredictable and evolving canvas.

Both the process of creating the artwork and its longevity is at the mercy of Mother Nature. This is one of the reasons why street art is described as an ephemeral art form.

The climate in the Blue Mountains oscillates between the severe heat of the Australian sun and a crisp coolness when the sun disappears behind the clouds. This changeable, sometimes hostile, nature of the urban landscape is in stark contrast to the formality and sleekness of contemporary art galleries, often described as white cubes (O’Doherty, 1986).

It is therefore necessary to consider street art in relation to both its physical and cultural context. The creators of street art challenge the traditional gallery parameters by making art accessible in the everyday. Street art is not removed or separate, but rather part of the community.

For artist Claire Nakazawa, these challenges are nothing new. She effortlessly negotiates irregular surfaces, the extremes of the Blue Mountains weather and even swooping birds to paint murals that create a balance between the image and its surroundings. The smell of spray paint combines with the deafening sound of cicadas and the aggressive dance of plover birds nesting in the middle of a bowling green.

It is these sensorial elements Claire encounters when creating the mural for the Blackheath Fitness Centre, which the work reflects back to us viewers.

Like all of us, the Blackheath community suffered during the pandemic: shut-downs, economic hardship, isolation and mental health challenges. It is with the community in mind that Claire wanted to create a balanced space, stating her desire to:

“…bring some colour and a good vibe to the space. People do exercise here, rock climbing, and yoga and they come to feel good and healthy and do something for themselves so it’s nice to contribute to that vibe of positive energy.”

Reciprocity

By creating an artwork with the community as the focus, the artist creates a sense of reciprocity between themselves and the residents.

The concept of reciprocity between artists and the community is explored by academics Miyase Christenson & Tindra Thor (2017). It explains a kind of gift exchange: the community gifts the space, and the artist gifts the artwork back to the community. Christenson & Thor see ideas exchanged via the artwork – a conversation that is mutually beneficial to both the artist and the community.

This exchange creates an activation of space. Street artists turn blank walls into an exploration. In turn, the audience engages and interacts with the work. This engagement creates a sense of joy and enchantment that Claire has experienced as she makes art:

“People stop and love to see the process and ask questions and feel part of it, especially because it is in a public space and in their own environment, so they want to connect with it (the artwork) and they want to know the story and be part of the story as well.”

It is this interaction throughout the art-making process that creates a reciprocity between the artist and audience – something that is unlikely in a traditional studio environment where the audience is removed. For the audience is inspiring the artist rather than distracting as the engagement generates a sense of joy that guide them.

In this way, the power of Claire’s art is not only in the work itself, but the process. She contemplates, assembles her thoughts and evaluates her next move. Much like a chess master, Claire’s creative process is meticulously calculated as she responds to her context. The constant reflection of movement and tonal balance is emphasised through the colours, lines and shapes she selects.

Watching Claire methodically select and swap colours is like a window into her thought process. I wonder what colours she would prefer on stormy day compared to a clear summer day? How would the work change in the mid-winter sunshine or late autumn as the trees shed their leaves?

Balance

Claire is connected to both the community and the environment where she makes art. Her practice is not preconceived but reflective. In the Blackheath mural, Claire seeks balance.

Claire’s abstract work finds the perfect balance between curved and solid lines. A juxtaposition of movement and stillness is accentuated through the piece. The use of negative space creates a dynamic between the separate elements, capturing the complexity of the space she is painting: the peaceful yet abrasive quality of nature (don’t forget the swooping plover birds!); the physicality of the local rock climbers alongside the meditative movements of the local yogi.

In reflecting the audience and the surrounding environment, Claire finds balance. The mural is located in a space that people go searching for health, fitness and a balanced lifestyle. These motivations are reflected in the tonal balance of the piece: through the brightness of aqua, the depth of the red, a bold yellow, and the addition of pink and purple tones, a vibrant mural pops out from the grey wall that lies beneath.

Through her art, Claire aims to inspire the community as a reflection of the way that she is inspired by the spirit of the community – a meeting of reciprocity and balance.

Alix Beattie | November 2020

Reference

Christensen, M., & Thor, T. (2017). The reciprocal city: Performing solidarity: Mediating space through street art and graffiti. International Communication Gazette, 79(6-7), 584-612. doi:10.1177/1748048517727183.

O’Doherty, B. (1986). Inside the white cube: The ideology of the gallery space. Lapis Press.