James Delaney wants his public art in South Africa’s biggest city to be more than a magnet for selfies and a delight for children. He’s determined to have the vibrant metal sculptures change the mood of its gritty and sometimes dangerous neighborhoods.
Over the past decade, artist James Delaney has designed more than 100 sculptures for The Wilds Park in Johannesburg.
Authorities in Johannesburg have encouraged public art to improve safety and environmental conditions in the city of some 6 million people whose downtown has a reputation for crime and degradation.
The Wilds is in the midst of Johannesburg’s contrasts.
One side of the park is bordered by the tree-lined Killarney suburb and affluent Houghton, home to Nelson Mandela during the final years of his presidency as the country’s first Black leader.
The other side borders a transition into the bustling, sometimes broken-down areas of Berea and Yeoville.
“What I found at The Wilds that I spent a couple of years fixing the park and planting and weeding and restoring the infrastructure. We did a lot of work, and we couldn’t get people to go back, and then I had this idea of making laser-cut steel sculptures. First of a set of 67 owls, and then later on the kudu and the giraffe, and then all those big pieces. And it’s that which turned The Wilds around. Because those become draw cards and we live in an era now of the photograph. It’s all about the photo that you take. Particularly if you could be in the photograph and next to something which is a landmark and public art is a landmark,” explains Delaney.
“When you come upon a piece of art where you least expect it, it’s like magic. You immediately smile, and you wonder, you ask questions: how did this happen? What’s the story behind this? Who are the people who put this here?” says Johannesburg resident, Nadia Nicholaaspar.
“It makes you think, well, somebody or a group of people love this place enough to put this effort into it, so I’m going to love it too. I’m going to be a little bit more respectful.”
This article and video were provided by The Associated Press.
[Artist James Delaney placing a metal sculpture of an elephant inside his studio]
[Metal sculptures of an elephant, fox, and meerkats sculptures inside James Delaney’s studio]
James Delaney (interview): “This is going to get laser cut now from this drawing. So, I’ll give you an example of an elephant that there was a drawing of a different elephant, but similar to this one, and this is how it turned out. So it is the steel, which is about 2 or 3 millimetres thick. So this one moves a little bit, but the wind can blow through it. So for a public space, it’s not going to fall over. It’s easy to anchor into the ground because it’s got a built-in base, so that slots in.”
[Metal baobab tree, springbok, vulture, and giraffe sculptures]
[Delaney working using charcoal to draw his next elephant sculpture]
[Delaney drawing an elephant head for his next sculpture]
James Delaney (interview): “What I found at the wilds that I spent a couple of years fixing the park and planting and weeding and restoring the infrastructure. We did a lot of work and we couldn’t get people to go back and then I had this idea of making laser cut steel sculptures. First of a set of 67 owls, and then later on the kudu and the giraffe and then all those big pieces. And it’s that which turned the wilds around. Because those become draw cards and we live in an era now of the photograph. It’s all about the photo that you take. Particularly if you could be in the photograph and next to something which is a landmark and public art is a landmark.”
[“The Wilds,” a municipal nature reserve in Johannesburg]
[Giraffe sculpture installed inside “The Wilds,” a municipal nature reserve]
[Women at Killarney Park, exiting using the newly installed James Delaney gate]
[Gate with an eagle standing on a tree]
[Killarney residents at the opening of the new Killarney gate installed]
Jenny Moodley (interview): “We’ve got this wonderful gate that we’ve unveiled today, and we hope that that will stand the test of time. We want residents to feel very welcome in this space and where possible to continue to keep it as a vibrant space and yet keep the noise levels down, because it’s in the heart of residential, at the same time, you can walk your pets in here, you can come express yourself, read a book. It’s extremely safe, it’s well-contained.”
[Person on a bench and another walking in Killarney Park]
[Residents sitting at the park]
Nadia Nicholaaspar (interview): “When you come upon a piece of art where you least expect it, it’s like magic. You immediately smile, and you wonder, you ask questions: how did this happen? What’s the story behind this? Who are the people who put this here? And it makes you think, well, somebody or a group of people love this place enough to put this effort into it, so I’m going to love it too. I’m going to be a little bit more respectful.”
[Owl sculpture on a tree at “The Wilds” nature reserve]
[Baby deer sculpture at “The Wilds” nature reserve]
[Giraffe sculpture at “The Wilds” nature reserve]
This script was provided by The Associated Press.