Here Comes Everybody

Beneath the canopy of rippling glass, strange figures have gathered. Guardians, workers, friendly giants. Members of a wondrous welcome party. Francis Upritchard created these beings to greet you in this new cultural space, and to ready your mind for the new and unexpected.

Unlike the bronze figures in many public spaces, these do not represent known people or histories. Rather they seem to have come from a time long ago – or perhaps far in the future. Their rumpled skins were first sculpted by Upritchard from balata, a sustainably sourced natural rubber. Their elongated bodies are inspired by the roots of nearby Moreton Bay fig trees, as well as folklore, children’s literature and science fiction.

Whichever world they come from, it’s clearly one where collaboration is essential. The long-armed figures join those with long legs to complete their improbable tasks. They host smaller beings on their bodies and reach out sociably to us. ‘Get to know these figures’, Upritchard says. ‘Hug them. Whisper to them. Say hello again each time you visit. They want you to wonder about them, to spin their stories, to bring your own narratives to them.’