Kurt Perschke's RedBall Project

Today was RedBalls last day at the Perth Festival. Towards that end we installed RedBall in the entrance-way to the Festival Gardens, which was the main party and music venue for the festival. It was a simple install only delayed slightly as Kurt had to patch a small hole. It was a busy site towards the end of the day, as it cooled down and more Perthians came out.

Tonight we had a little celebration with all the Perth RedBall staff, and of course there was also an artist and staff party to celebrate the end of the Festival. It started about 1130PM, and wine, fun and dance flowed all night. We don’t want to give the wrong impression, but lets just admit the sun was up as we peddled home after a night of celebration.

Thanks to our volunteers today, Barb and our Canadian friend Mary. Also another thank you to all the volunteers who gave of their time to make our project and the event better. A huge thanks to the whole crew and staff that helped out: Sara, Pascal, Claire, Rod, Kim, Annette, and many others who contributed. Also thanks to Sue Quinn, our main photography fan, who delighted Kurt with a beautiful gift. Thanks as well to all our other followers and photographers who made it more fun for us!

And especially thanks to Lewis Horne, our local Production Manager, who made so many difficult things easy and became a good and valued friend in the process.

Sunday we packed up the RedBall in its big red box awaiting its shipment to England this June. Watch this website for current information.

Stephan

Today we had an exciting water install within the fountain at the QV1 building in downtown Perth. It went quite well, but we actually had to go into the fountain and float out a partially inflated ball until we got it into just the right position. Once done, we inflated RedBall fully so it was properly wedged in between some underwater lights and the edge of a waterfall overhang. Safely lodged, we had the fountain turned back on and a cascade of water drummed down over the RedBall.

One of the first things that happened today was a couple of partying Australians jumped into the fountain and started moving the RedBall, but soon jovially agreed to desist. Once the waterfall was on, not many people entered the fountain, although a few committed viewers were in the water taking photos.

It was a sensational install and I did an oil plein air sketch today of it. It was lucky I stayed nearby, as our slippery ball moved a few times, probably due to the pummeling it received from the cascade. But we kept it topped up with air and readjusted, so it looked great all day. It was especially popular with the lunch crowd and the after work crowd.

Beatrice did her final stint as a RedBall docent, so thanks to her for her  uncompromising good cheer. The whole Perth crew, Lewis, Claire, Pascal, Kurt and I got wet today, but we were all smiling. Tomorrow is our last installation in Perth, and that is at the Perth Festival Gardens at the Perth Cultural Centre, Northbridge, from 12 to 6PM.

Today’s install was at Perth’s Bakery venue an art and performance space run by the local Artrage group. Around the back they have an outdoor area for their bar which consists of six red shipping containers surrounding a seating area. Its done up nicely with driftwood furniture and artificial turf.

The plan for the install was to lodge the RedBall between two of the containers over the entrance-way. Unfortunately it is a bit high up, and it involved poor Lewis getting on a boom lift and lifting and inflating the RedBall while 4 or 5 meters in the air. It actually went perfectly smoothly and the Redball lodged just about exactly where we wanted it. We spent the afternoon picnicking and sampling the local beer in the nice seating area, which was nicely cooled in our Australian “esky” or cooler.

Originally the installation was planned for 2 to 11PM to coincide with a show at the Bakery. Due to circumstances beyond our control, the show was cancelled and a decision was made to do only an afternoon install, as the Bakery was closed that evening. It still looked great and some hardcore RedBall enthusiasts got a look today.

Thanks to Lewis, Claire and Beatrice for their work today. Tomorrows install in the QV1 fountain looks to be exciting.

Stephan

Today we did an early morning installation at Perth’s Council House, which is the headquarters of the city government. An example of the modernist style, the building is listed on the State’s Heritage Register. The Royal Australian Institute of Architects, consider the building to be an important example of modernist architecture in the city, although others dislike it. At one point it was almost demolished, but after some debate, the City of Perth choose to renovate the tower and keep it as its headquarters in the 1990’s.

We installed the RedBall underneath the entrance-way eve, and it looked great. It was popular with the local workers and passerbies. And there were some lovely water views from the fountains to the left and right of the entrance. Thanks to Jacqui and Beatrice who were our watchers today

Late in the afternoon, we de-installed RedBall for its debut at the Bakery tomorrow afternoon. There has been a schedule change. Instead of 2 -11pm, It will be there from 1- 5PM around the back by the red cargo containers.

Stephan

This mornings site was near the entrance of the Victoria St. YMCA, fronting Langley Park on the Swan River. The RedBall was wedged atop a dark wall and underneath some higher up architectural elements.

Our installation started of well, and there was a bit of heavy lifting involved. But we positioned the RedBall atop its perch and inflation went fine. But…. It needed to go just a little farther forward to sit just right and we started nudging it forward and then BAM! RedBall fell of the wall, right on top of poor Lewis and our rope attachment sliding past my leg and giving me a minor rope burn! Both Lewis and I were fine, other than our dignity.

We dusted ourselves off, and we started the whole process over, dragging and pulling and deflating until we had our misbehaving ball back on the wall. The pumps were started up again and with a little extra support from some ropes, this time Redball wedged itself nicely into its position.

There was regular foot traffic all day, and many photos were taken of people pretending to push the RedBall over its wall. No one succeeded. Thanks to Jacqui,Anthea and Rhoda, for their volunteer efforts today

Also extra thanks from Kurt and I to Lewis, Pascal, Sara, and Claire for the extra hard site today. Tomorrow we will be just down the road at Council House.

Today we were back at the University campus, just a stone’s throw away from our previous install at the Library Café. We installed underneath the bridge connecting the Library building and the Art Department building. It was nicely symmetrical site, and was also viewable from above because it was underneath the bridge. At least one person crawled out on top, which looked fun, but is officially discouraged by the RedBall.

The University was home to The Perth Writers Festival this week, a festival within a festival of the Perth International Arts Festival. And Sunday was Family Day, so we had a seemingly endless supply of children bouncing off RedBall. You definitely see the difference between the gender of children when viewed through the prism of RedBall: boys almost always first punch the ball and girls pat it. But everybody bounces off of it in the end!

Monday is a rest day and our next install is Tuesday, at Two Victoria Ave., at the corner of Terrace Rd, Perth.

Stephan

Frenzied! That describes the site of our install today at the Sail and Anchor pub in downtown Fremantle. RedBall spent the day near the market and shopping street and right around the corner from the local buskers. There was barely a moment today when Redball was not being pummeled or caressed or serving as a photo backdrop.

It was a  compositionally strong placement, pushing its way onto and occupying the sidewalk, practically bursting out of the alley. A little more air and I think the buildings might have bent a little. Not many people saw it from the back, but it worked great there as well, with strong negative shapes and a nice blue fence off-setting the redness.

Thanks to volunteers Russya, Barb, and Cat who stayed very busy answering questions and handing out flyers and to Lewis, who did a lot of preliminary work on this site, and of course the ever cheerful Pascal. We bagged up the RedBall about 7pm, and will be back near the University of Western Australia Library tomorrow.

Stephan

This morning we installed RedBall over a pool around University of Western Australia campus’s library building. It was a quiet place that morning with students bent over their laptops on the Library’s Café veranda. We received many quizzical glances as we inflated RedBall, but everyone was closed mouth until we were almost done and finally a few students asked what (these apparently crazy men) were doing!

It looked great hanging over the dark green pool, the colors nicely complimenting RedBall. I set up today to do a painting actually of the RedBall itself, as it was a really good composition. You hear a lot of non-English speakers on the UWA campus and I talked to both a visiting Italian and US student about our project. Additionally, it was a visiting day for grammar and high school students on the Campus, so a lot of children in school uniforms had their photos taken in front off RedBall.

Logistically, it was an easy site and at the end of the day RedBall went into its truck for our next site Saturday back in Fremantle. And we will  be back on the UWA campus Sunday.

Stephan

Whew! I am wiping the sweat off my brow from this mornings install at Perth’s State Theatre. Today Kurt, Lewis,  I, and the theater staff, put RedBall up in the entrance-way of the aforementioned theater, and it was quite an effort. A lot of the preliminary work was done the by the theater staff, but raising it up about three meters off the ground was grueling work.

We used a system of pulleys and ropes, and it took four people to pull it up and a couple more to ensure there was no damage to the entrance area. In the end, Redball was up, and looking its spectacular self, even if it was not quite as high as Kurt wanted. And just as soon as it was installed, some RedBall fans were jumping and photographing and generally having a great time.

Thanks to the theater staff, Frank, Glen, and Graeme who might have been a little stressed by our install, but looked pleased in the end. Also thanks to our loyal volunteers and docents Leisa, Anthea, Daniel, Rhoda and Brenna.

Tomorrow we were going to install RedBall at the Ferry Dock on the Swan River, but instead we will be at the University of Western Australia Library Cafe.

Stephan

This morning’s install was at the centrally located Rotunda, on a shopping street facing Albany’s Princess Royal Harbour. The Rotunda is a charming old structure, a kind of sheltered outdoor seating area. RedBall sat in the entranceway, just claiming a smidgen of street space.

Installation all accomplished Kurt and I took a daytrip over to Two peoples Bay Nature Preserve, where he practiced his fly fishing skills, and I painted on the rather stunning beach we discovered there. On the way home we stopped along the Kalgan River, for a look and a little more fishing. This is truly a beautiful part of the world.

Special thanks to Elke, for loaning her car to us for the day. And thanks to Kim and Claire, who watched and de-installed RedBall today, allowing us to take our daytrip.

Stephan