'Pop-Out Brochure'
​
I am the Artist and Art Director of this major installation at the Visitor Centre at
South Australia's second largest city, Mount Gambier.
The room had a complete renovation conducted by myself.
"It is a breath of fresh air" -CEO of Mount Gambier, Mark McShane.
It was a pleasure to work closely with the Manager of Tourism and Economic
Development, Donna Foster together on this project. We were able to create
something that is informative, educational, fun, funny, creative, interactive, and
so much more. It simply ticks all the boxes.
Thank you to the team of the Mount Gambier's Visitor Centre for all their ideas and enthusiasm. It has been a pleasure to work with you all. Thank you for having a piece of yourselves in this magnificent installment. -Even Mandy's hand has been outlined in the "Simo Selfie" artwork.
Thank you to the boys! -skillful traides that took on this unusual project with passion and care and really thrown themselves into their parts. It's your craftsmanship that has been the foundation to the visual impact for what has been created. Was it 82 holes drilled into that artwork? -each with consideration and precision.
Now here are some photos to support my babbling:
"I WANT VISITORS TO WALK OUT AND HAVE ACCIDENTLY LEARNT SOMETHING, and then be like dammit, tricked." -MELANIE CECOTTI
ALL THESE TAGS UNDER A MONTH!
"THIS GAVE ME MORE KNOWLEDGE THAN HISTORY CLASS EVER DID" - TAG.
"Tourists are taking selfies and having fun interacting with a new "pop out brochure" at the Mount Gambier Visitor Centre, featuring works by local artist Mel Cecotti.
The display features local attractions such as caves, sinkholes, the sea and vineyards and uses bright colours and quirky materials to encourage people of all ages to interact. It's hoped it will also encourage tourists to explore the region and see the featured attractions for themselves."
-ABC South East SA
ABC INTERVIEW!
LINK BOTTOM Pg
MY LARGEST PROJECT!
17.05.2018
ARTICLE IN - DISCOVER MOUNT GAMBIER. COM!
ARTICLE IN - THE BORDER WATCH! & THE MILLICENT TIMES!
Turning into our entrance.
The arch of grapes reflect our great vinyards, and are an elegant welcoming into what you are about to experience.
Utilising repetition of leaves and vines has united this interactive art display, even when themes couldn't be more different from one another, nearby a vine, leaf, or natural aspect ties everything back together.
"Simo" is an extinc short-faced kangaroo of the Megafaunas. It was much larger than the Kangaroos we have today and walked instead of hopping. The Visitor Centre has many fossils to check out. The 500,000 year old jaw of Simo's ancestor being one of them.
The artwork is split into three parts: Volcaino of the dinosaurs, old cave drawings, fossils beneathe.
Their order is relevent to how they would naturally sit, i.e the fossils are at the lowest point as they are underneath us. The order also reflects time.
The way the cave painting section has been painted is inspired by cave walls and Uluru. The dirt in the fossil section has also been painted in an interesting manner and is inspired by rainbow-like colour when water meets oil, called "thin-film interference. This further reflects the working men and women of Australia.
This is an artwork reflecting time.
Our beautiful vineyard works as not only a crafty visual piece, but also as a room divider and helps visitors navigate through the room and take in each artwork at a time.
The concept of this project was not limited to The City of Mount Gambier, it invited all of the Limestone Coast.
With the Limetone Coast being home to more than 40 Cellar Doors, vineyards became a strong
theme to educate and promote
in this project. A great example of
the many educational elements
in this project are the roses
beside the grape-vine,
to which the
Pop-Out Brochure informs;
"the reason there are roses
at the end of grape-vines
is to act as an early
warning sign of disease".
'Simo Selfie'
Keeping in the wine theme.
One of the re-purposed art pieces shows a Sheep and Cow enjoying a beverage together (more on that later).
I am a strong believe in recycling and making the most of what we have. Therefore a lot of the materials in this display have been re-purposed and given new life, instead of being chucked out.
Re-purposed
+ Recycled
Everywhere you look there is that additional effort and detail that make this display great!
Re-purposed rocks from another display.
The Visitor Centre has an enormous volcano which lights up the room with Neon and sounds. My "Simo" artwork pays tribute to this volcano with its own and ties the room around the previously installed piece.
TAG #SIMOSELFIE #MOUNTGAMBIERVISITORCENTRE
Photo Left: Teagan Thrussell, Ebony Haebich -friends :)
Photo Right: Me, Ben Deering 'Tower Guy', Donna Foster 'Cool Person'.
Magical...
'Simo' footprints inspired by thermal vision.
The prints lead from the cave-hall, through the room and into the artwork, as if "Simo" has "escaped" and checked the room out for himself. Now he is photo-bombing visitors photos.
Footprints help by leading visitors through the room. Fun for children to jump along while parents/guardians help themselves to pamphlets.
'Scuba Stevie'
I presented this art concept saying "I want to push art to the next level" and this was exicuted soundly with an artwork that lights up!
This piece has 82 holes drilled into it. And it was terriffying to find out if it was going to work or not. We simply had to "DIVE" in and find out //puts on sunnies.
Check out the Installation Photos at the end of this article for behind the scenes.
The large artwork honors our Scuber Divers and Sink Holes and Australian Sealife of the region. There are many cleverly hidden Sea Creatures to find -well done if you can actually find them all.
It's hard to say which is my favorite but this one defiently captures the magic of the entire room. Its those lights that attract you over to it and the eyes and whole composition that suck you in. Then you start noticing all the hidden creatures amongst it.
The scuba diver is suppose to look as if she is on the other side of the glass peering out at you. The effect was captured by painting what would be the shinning of glass over the top of the lady. The piece was also finished with painting a frame around it to create a boundary. Throughout I painting the illusion of depth, including painting the dust to come up and back behind her. Tricks like this help create the illusion you're after. Significantly she is also blue skinned. I felt it would bring to the attention that she is underwater instantly.
It was a very daring project and I'm glad it paid off and has already opened some amazing offers and opportunities. I was truly passionate about the whole project and it wouldn't be the some if I hadn't have been. It just goes to show what we are capable of when we want to be and I am truly proud of what I have accomplished here.
Bit Cheeky...
'Duck'
The 'Duck' artwork holds more than its name it seems.
At first glance this artwork, apart from the amazing detail, may come across as something out of Play School -which is quite relevent because this off-canvas artwork is here to teach you something;
The cheeky duck is saying "No." to the bread offering for good-reason. The movies lead us astray on this one, but bread isn't actually any good for ducks; Only the seeds are.
The message here for if you were to feed wildlife is "Check-Out before you Hand-Out!", "Have a Read before you Feed!". Google is a click away and you can find out what is healthy for our wildlife to munch on their.
Would you like to learn some more?
The piece also showcases all Seven State Flowers hidden amongst loads of detail and vibrant splashes of colour for you to find because I was never going to make it easy for you ;)
There is also quite a few Australian animals for you to find.
Artistically, the Umpherston Caves vines work like a curtain to really show off this piece and add another level of depth. The off-canvas vines mimic the same, only amplifying the affect.
I even painted the walls black before the installation. Creating drama, visual impact and a theatrical experience when taking in this piece.
Photo below sharing selfie with MELENTIE PANDILOVSKI, DIRECTOR OF RIDDOCH ART GALARY & MANAGER ARTS & CULTURE DEVELOPMENT on opening night, as well as many important faces, gallery owners and artists. Thank you all for coming out and joining the fun!
Photography: Grace E. Bevan
'Repurposed Art'
As mentioned this project features many recycled elements. It's better for our enviornment to use what we have and lowering the consumption rate. Furturemore is cheaper and we can get more from our projects budget when we plan savy. It also shows what stunning results you can get from re-purposing something rather than replacing it.
Fisherman
On this photo I painted a Mullaway. He is crying because he got caught. It is enjoyable watching people laugh at this one. This was another savy project which has worked effectivly with a bit of craft and some good humor. Shells and a plastic Crayfish have been carefully placed on the photo. The size, colour and shape of the props were considered, maintaining balance and flow through the piece. They are placed in a way that directs the viewers eyes towards the subject rather than losing it amongst all the objects.
Centenary Tower Welcome Board
It's fun to leave your mark.
Dangling down from the ceiling in a point of interest are permos braided together -intreeging and functional.
A Wall for All!
The board is inspired by a cave wall I remember when travelling Australia. The wall had thousands upon thousands of names carved into it. Previously friends had signed this wall and we tried to find their names from their previous visit to ours. I thought this would be a great idea to pass on. I also like the idea of fighting for your space. This photo was taken under a month after the project was open for the public! What will it look like a year from now? -who knows! It will be fasinating to see what will become of this wall as time passes. And there are many great things written on it 'Save the Ladybirds!' and 'This gave me more knowledge than History class ever did...".
Chalkboard Table
This coffee table has been given a new life at the Visitor Centre. Painted over in chalkboard paint and decorated with a flower pot that also functions as a classy way of holding the chalks. The heart and 'Play' have been painted in, even the roses have been dyed red to match our vineyard. The little table has a big job to entertain young guests while adults check out the pamphlets of the area. The table is accompanied with a tied down chalk duster and a cow hide mat beneath it to match the Sheep + Cow artwork. The lounge room is an area to sit down and take the room in or play on this table. The sofas were re-furbished vibrant colours, suiting the room, and Donna and myself bought some funky cushions to finish off the look. One is neutral white and very fluffy, the other is covered in sequins to draw into and complement the artistic and interactive theme.
The Crayfish Pot
is another re-purposed piece. I took it from a finished display. It fits well with the Fisherman art beside it and is hung-up like a clock on a wall.
Sheep + Cow
This piece is at the entrance and showcases my passion in making this display for All Ages. It has a cartoon style children would enjoy. The hides and fur are made from textured materials that 3-year-olds love to feel, and the artwork has humor catered to adults. The piece even has a wine theme to go with surrounding vineyard art and barrel donated by Hollick Estates that is used to serve maps of the area and hold my business cards ;)
Blue Ringed Octopus
was saved from the trash-can. Keep recycling. You might remember the octopus from the front counter. Now she sits beside 'Scuba Stevie" and is a nice break between our signs informing direction and distance of our popular locations.
Street Signs
What this "Pop-Out Brochure" is known for is using bright colours and quirky materials to inform our guests. The Street Signs do just that. Light up signs with names of popular locations, accompanied by their distance creatively inform our guests. This approach throughout the entire display help our guests help themselves to plan their trip. These signs were put together by the always helpful team of the Visitor Centre.
Note: Mandy even has her hand outlined in the "Simo Selfie" artwork to show her Grandies when they are older <3.
MINITURE BLUE LAKE SCULPTURE
ABC Interview
Time Lapse Painting
Coming Soon
There is that much to tell you about for this project that I will always have missed something! I guess you'll just have to see it for yourself and don't forget to sign your name on the way out ;)
Thank you for taking time to read through or just take a look at the pictures. Beside is an interview that Donna and I had with Selina from ABC South East SA about the project.
I also will be making a time lapse of some of the "Duck" and "Scuber Stevie" art in the future after finishing some commissions.
If you'd like something commissioned it is never too early to get in contact.
If you have any questions feel free to contact me. I can't wait to get my hands stuck into the next project.
Thank you.
Sincerly,
Melanie Cecotti
Psychotti Art
© 2023 by Psychotti Art.
The Miniture Blue Lake Sculpture is miniture scale model of the Mount Gambier's famous Blue Lake.
In the design process, I drove around the large lake and recorded the rise and falls in hills.
With this and the combination of photos and Google Maps I was able to create this model in an accurate fashion.
The model is made from clay and wire. The trees have are made from craft materials and the sculpture has been painted in acrylics. There is a huge amount of detail that shows up really well in the rocks and the blue resin capture the lake's famous blue beautifully.
The sculpure is guarded by good old Limestone.
Before the Renovation.
(Click to enlarge).
Amazing Installment.
