Blue Poles is not a Park
Katie Hayne
13–30 November

Blue Poles is Not a Park is a series of works documenting Canberra’s current suburban expansion. Hayne is interested in the rapidly changing landscape, as well as the environmental and social consequences of these developments. The construction sites often look more like demolition sites, highlighting the fine line between the destruction and creation of a landscape—a landscape previously occupied by First Nations people and then white settlers. 

Hayne also considers the complex relationship between art and urban development. In the case of the new suburb Whitlam, the streets and parks have been named after artists and artworks in recognition of Gough Whitlam’s support of the arts—Olive Cotton View, Blue Poles Park and Maymuru Way to name a few. This naming establishes a connection between people and place that previously did not exist. 

In the video of herself painting live in situ, Hayne encourages the viewer to consider the artist’s role in the communication of a place. The time-based nature of the video draws attention to the process of change as the construction of both the painting and the building occur simultaneously in the same frame. 

Supported by the ACT Government.