By LIAM DURKIN
THORPDALE Primary School unveiled a striking new mural before Christmas, with input and expertise from those who know the area best.
Students collaborated with Emerald-based artist George Manioudakis, completing an artwork encapsulating the sights and surrounds of the potato farming community.
Following a seemingly innocuous clearing at the front of the school’s art room building, Thorpdale Primary School Principal, David Shields (himself an artist) saw the potential.
“Once that had been cleared I had a look, I’ve gone ‘oh wow, there’s a big canvas’, because as an artist (I) see the whole world as empty canvases, and started to get the idea about whether an artwork would look good on there as you came into town,” he said.
Mr Shields took his proposal to school council, and from there engaged Mr Manioudakis.
Mr Manioudakis spent the best part of a week not only painting but learning about aspects synonymous with the Thorpdale area.
“I really wanted the landscape in the background, the rolling hills and the blue skies,” Mr Shields said.
“It’s just so organic, there’s nothing super modern about this artwork, he’s done some good abstracts, this is a pretty traditional community and they really appreciate a really good, strong traditional artwork that adds a little bit of fun and colour to the area.”
The mural features an illustrated timeline of potato growing, accompanied by a working dog, sheep and hay bales – all familiar to anyone traversing the steep inclines of the district.
Being at a school, it is perhaps appropriate the potato leaves also take up part of the mural.
In a story that wouldn’t look out of place in the show Horrible Histories, potatoes were actually banned by Queen Elizabeth I in 14th century England after her cooks presented nobles with the leaves rather than the actual potatoes.
Unbeknown to them, the leaves are extremely poisonous. A mass illness broke out, and the Queen was not in the least bit amused.
With harvest time, or ‘spud season’ about to begin, the mural is on show at the perfect time, especially as locals prepare for the Thorpdale Potato Festival in March.
For current students, Mr Shields hopes the mural’s legacy will still be there if they ever drive past along Morwell-Thorpdale Road in 20 years’ time.
“The kids were there for the whole journey, watching it, talking about it, as were the community members, just seeing the blank wall turn into an artwork in a matter of days, they’ll remember that,” he said.
Those with an eagle eye will surely notice the detail that went into creating the piece, including the texture of Thorpdale’s famous (or equally infamous) ‘red dirt’.
Knowing the remarkably sticky red soil better than most, Thorpdale Primary School students reportedly said the dirt “wasn’t red enough” upon first inspection with the artist.
Water plus red dirt – the bane of all mothers of Thorpy kids.
