Bakery Hill receives a pop of colour

A vibrant geometric mural has been completed on the prominent wall at Little Bridge Street and Main Road intersections, by local artist Spencer Harrison.  

120 hours, 24 litres of paint and eight vivid paint shades later, the 30 metre stretch of wall has now introduced more colour into the area.  

The mural aims to bring greater vibrancy to the area, improving the public’s experience of the space.  

Harrison’s process for creating the mural started with a simple walk around the area, where he gained inspiration from the architecture and history of the building. The triangular geometric design of this artwork was particularly inspired by the façade of the old Stone’s clothing store on which it is painted. 

In total the mural has 348 triangles, and one kilometre of masking tape was used to create the sharp triangular lines.  

Harrison then turned his attention to colours, experimenting what would work together to create an optical effect of a sheen of fabric, inspired by the original use of the store.  

The eight colours in this mural were carefully selected to interact with each other to provide maximum impact in the urban landscape.  

The local artist has spent more than 120 hours in total on the mural, painting most days from 8am – 6pm for two weeks.  

Harrison said he was super excited to bring this mural to life with all the colours.  

“There have been some long days painting the mural, but I have really enjoyed my time painting in Bakery Hill. I’ve been able to interact with many different people as they pass through the area,” he said.   

"The mural shows us how our perception of colour really shifts depending on what's around us and the surrounding environment.”  

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said the mural has provided a visual improvement to the environment of the area.  

“A lot of Ballarat residents will experience the mural from their car, and we look forward to it brightening people’s day as they see the wonderful colours,” he said.   

“It’s important we keep looking at our city with fresh eyes, and that’s precisely what Spencer has done. He has been influenced by fashion, colour and pattern of the era to create a new contemporary artwork which fits naturally into our temporary public art collection.” 

Spencer Harrison was a Creative Inspiration Grant Recipient in 2022 and the grant allowed him to purchase equipment to further his animation skills.  

To see more of his artwork please visit his website at https://spencerharrison.art/  

This mural will be the latest addition to the City of Ballarat’s temporary public art collections featuring established and emerging artists.  

Visit creativeballarat.com.au for self-guided tours of public art throughout the city, more information on emerging artists, installations and future creative opportunities across the city.