Lizards and footprints join art collection

Dampier Highway is continuing to be dressed up with public art – the latest additions are brightly coloured lizards and their footprints installed on light poles along the road last week.

Designed by artist Bridget Norton, the lizards are familiar to the Pilbara and adorned with designs reminiscent of the North West landscape.

Norton said the project initially looked at banners for the poles, but restrictions on what could be applied to the light poles changed the idea.

She said she wanted to use the original inhabitants of the Pilbara as her inspiration for the works.

The 5mm aluminium works are digitally imaged to give each lizard a different landscape pattern.

Norton said time constraints were some of the biggest challenges facing her, as well as having to work within the limitations of what could be erected on power poles.

“Being able to hang on to what I wanted to do, with all the constraints, was the second challenge,” she said.

The works follow two public art pieces erected earlier this month at roundabouts on the highway. Norton said she drove up and down the stretch of road a lot to gather inspiration and said she thought the other public art was “fantastic”.

“Now it’s exciting to drive along there and see all the (art), it’s great,” she said. “It’s a really nice, eclectic collection that all works really well together I think.” However, on Facebook and other social media, the art has had a mixed reception.