Tourists in Mundaring sculpture
Public Art : Tourists in Mundaring sculpture
Sculptor : © Stuart Elliot
Description : A series of outrageously dressed bronze and acyrilic laquered 1 metre statues all lined up in two rows at the foot of towering gum trees. They represent the typical uniformed white middle class American tourist, thinking they are fitting into Australian culture by purchasing and wearing the worst of tourist fashion but in doing so, sticking out like sore thumbs. I even caught myself rolling my eyes at the cliched mess.
The bus load of statues have arrived with that dull, bored “we are here, now what ?” look, plastered across their faces. In all there are 5 little tourists in varying Australiana themed attire, including nice honky nut and Kangaroo Paw covered shirts . The three women , all with the same expression, are dressed in pant suits and pith helmets whilst the two men wear baseball caps and knee length shorts. I am guessing there is a widow amongst them.
Date Unveiled: 1988
Location : Mundaring Community Sculpture Park, Mundaring, Western Australia.
Inscription :
Sculpture Commissioned 1988
Title : Tourists in Mundaring
Artist : Stuart Elliott
Assisted by Visual Arts Board
of the Australian Council,
Shire of Mundaring
Mundaring Community Arts & Crafts Centre inc
History of the Tourists in Mundaring : Originally the “tourists” were made from fibreglass but in 1989 vandals attacked them and subsequently they were removed and re-made as bronze castings before being re-installed in 1990.
