A History Apparatus – Vessel Craft & Beacon

Location: Cnr Bourke and Russell St, Melbourne City which is an awkward place to try and get good photos. I think you'd need to go early morning first light, when traffic isnt busy. Or off peak. I took pics in peak hour traffic on a Thurs night 😑 Unveiled in 31 July 1995 the sculpture sits on the site of Melbourne's first underground public toilet, opened in 1902, which is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. Chris Reynolds 'A History Apparatus - Vessel, Craft and Beacon' was designed as part of the National Metal Industry Sculpture Project. An innovative sculpture in residency program that aimed to cultivate links between the artistic and technical endeavours + the greater community. The piece is made up of three main elements; the vessel, craft and beacon - + three lesser elements; the chord, snip-ring and trestle. The main components of this sculpture, 24 metres in length, refer to the temporal concepts that anchor us in the world: the vessel represents the past, the craft represents the present and the beacon the future. A History Apparatus resulted from a collaborative effort between the artist and the Australian Metal Workers Union, Aerospace Technology of Australia and the City of Melbourne. Each of these organisations has an illustrious past but is forging a new future. While the work gives a nod to these organisations' histories, it also comments on the continuity of time and how we all construct our histories, presents and futures.

Its an eyesore really needs pulling down probably the ugliest looking sculpture in Melbourne. I'd rather look at the first females public toilet in Melbourne that was once there than this.