Blue Poles Park opens in Canberra
September 30, 2022
Blue Poles Park was recently opened in the new Canberra suburb of Whitlam, in a nod to Whitlam’s approval of the controversial artwork purchase by the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) almost 50 years ago.
Copyright Agency worked with the Suburban Land Agency and ACT Place Names Committee to organise approvals and a licence on behalf of the Pollock-Krasner Foundation for the naming and use of Jackson Pollock’s iconic 1952 work.
Striking ‘Blue Poles’ adorn the new playground in Whitlam.
Key elements of the artwork were translated onto perforated steel screens surrounding the amphitheatre and a panel tells the story of how the work came into the public collection. Some striking blue poles across the playground also link back to the work.
“It’s fantastic to see a momentous artwork now come to life in a play setting” Housing and Suburban Development Minister Yvette Berry.
“We want to make this more than just infrastructure, concrete, and playgrounds, we want to turn Whitlam into a place that people really want to live and somewhere people can thrive”.
Light shines through the perforated steel panels, mimicking the paint splatters of Jackson Pollock’s Blue Poles, 1952 © Pollock-Krasner Foundation. ARS/Copyright Agency, 2022. Photo courtesy of Suburban Land Agency.
Featuring this iconic artwork as the basis of this new public space shows the value artwork licensing brings to community placemaking.
Read the full media release here.