Doors will make a lasting imprint in our arts community

An innovative arts project instigated by the City of Rockingham has been the impetus for a group of residents at National Lifestyle Villages Vibe - Baldivis and Tuart Lakes - Rockingham to get wildly creative with decorating “doors” as a canvas for creative expression.

Around 16 doors have been unhinged and planned for a new lease of life from the former Kent Street Ambulance Centre which will undergo an extensive renovation and refurbishment program due for completion earlier next year and rebadged as the Rockingham Arts Centre.

National Lifestyle Villages will decorate two doors and, under the auspice of ‘The Doors Community Arts Project’, the artistic theme of the event is “Imprint” – an intentionally broad reference to allow local artists and community groups a wide scope from which to interpret and express their sense of belonging and pride from in living in the Rockingham community.

The doors, which will be sealed with a weather resistant coating, will be exhibited during an outdoor display along the fence line of the new Centre for six months before being officially unveiled at the building’s first art gallery exhibition and opening next year where the doors will be displayed over several weeks in April-May 2012.

Two National Lifestyle Villages communities in the Rockingham and Baldivis area are contributing to the exhibition, each with a door to decorate at liberty around the Imprint theme.

 National Lifestyle Villages Vibe - Baldivis resident, Gordon Dhu has his own home art-studio and is submitting a solo piece.

Gordon has chosen to interpret the theme through the symbolism of water and the path it has taken through hundreds of years to reach the city and service our population.         

“Essentially it emulates the imprint human society has had on the earth as we’ve sought water for survival,” says Gordon.                                       

Seen on the door is a pipeline which zig-zags through the landscape during three stages – the Indigenous Dreamtime depicting  grass trees and Aboriginal symbolism; the European influence, showing paddocks and farmland and, where we are today in the modern world depicting buildings, roads and development.

“I’ve used a lot of Plaster Paris to depict grass trees during the Aboriginal inhabitation and buildings to symbolise the modern world. Given the abundance of grass trees in Rockingham it seemed only natural to include them in the design,” says Gordon.

 At neighbouring National Lifestyle Villages - Tuart Lakes, the village’s arts group is also collaborating on a door canvas. They will be adopting a broad ranging aquatic theme that symbolizes all the activities, marine and bird life abundant in the Rockingham area, including pelicans, seals, dolphins, kite surfing, sailing and kayaking.

The Imprint outdoor exhibition will commence from the beginning of November 2011 until the new centre officially opens in April 2012.

The City of Rockingham has kindly donated $150 gift vouchers to purchase art supplies for each of the community groups from Bunnings Warehouse Rockingham.