Artist Penny Bovell created the mural Airborne as part of the Wall Inc mural program.
“The stairs painted in the David Jones and Plaza Arcade laneway draws attention to air and space. To climb is to move toward the sky, by any means, through continual or gradual effort, moving toward aspirations, dreams and desires. The smoke is the air made visible, particles of dust which obscure our vision and is a vehicle for illusions and the imagination.”
Helen Curtis developed the City of Perth mural program Wall Inc. This was the first mural program of its kind in Australia.
The initiative saw the annual commission of four professional practising Western Australian artists, inviting them to translate their work from a studio setting to a public open-air space, connecting with the urban community and space.
Wall Inc was underpinned by three objectives: to enhance the attractiveness of the city; to decrease the incidence of localised graffiti in the city; and to bring a broader aesthetic approach and visual diversity into the public sphere.