WITH squinted eyes and tilted heads, puzzled tourists are struggling to identify the mysterious pixelated face watching over the Blue Lake city.
The fresh artwork featured on the city’s theatre fly tower highlights Mount Gambier’s renowned theatrical chameleon Sir Robert Helpmann.
The $1.3m refurbishment, a joint project between Mount Gambier City Council and Country Arts SA, has seen zinc panels installed on a steel and plywood frame to cover the building’s deteriorating tiles.
The bold mosaic makeover was designed by Stephen Herbert of Chapman Herbert Architects and has forced many summer visitors to use their imagination and guess who the portrait depicts.
The Border Watch hit the streets to quiz a number of visitors, asking them who they think is featured in the unique portrait and what they are known for.
Adelaide couple Jamie Armfield and Julie Elliott were both stumped when asked to identify the pixelated character.
“He definitely looks like a historical figure of some sort,” Julie said.
“He would have to be local, right?” Jamie added.
Once the couple were made aware of the building’s name, they guessed Sir Robert Helpmann was the highlighted identity.
“We had no idea,” Jamie said.
“The style of art makes it harder to tell who it might be,” Julie said.
Members of the Mitchell family from Fairhaven in Victoria were also challenged by the task to identify the portrait.
“Definitely a man who is young looking or once was,” Jo Mitchell said.
“I have got no clue,” Paul Mitchell said.
“It looks like Minecraft,” Grace said.
After further discussion, Jo said she thought the person could be “a patron of the arts” given the grand appearance of the civic facility.
Although unable to put a name to the face, after the identity was revealed Jo admitted the Helpmann name “rang a bell”.
“Something different is always good and now we know who it is and why, we really like the artwork, it looks great,” she said.
Adelaide visitor Jordan Hollitt also struggled to identify the silhouette, jokingly suggesting it could be James Bond.
“I have absolutely no idea, even when I was told the building is the theatre fly tower I did not make the connection,” he laughed.
“James Bond was the first thing that came to mind.
“The art style does make it difficult to pinpoint who it actually is, but maybe that is the fun of it.”
When the project was completed in October last year, the artwork received mixed feedback from locals.
Plenty of comments surfaced online claiming the pixelated portrait was “ugly” and a waste of money.
But after chatting with visitors, it seems clear statement artworks – like the Sir Robert piece – draw the eye, spark conversation and encourage online photograph sharing.
The artwork has potential to be a must-see when visiting the city and a prime photograph opportunity for tourists to share snaps on social media, increasing awareness and interest in our location as a tourism destination.
