Waiting for a Sign

Paul Hay

Title: Waiting for a Sign

Artist/s: Paul Hay

Year: 1993

Category: Integrated

Site: Joondalup Station

Location Details: Joondalup Station Platform

Description:

Two blue oval shapes made from brass and terrazzo at either end of the platform. Compass directions (best not used for directional purposes) and a chair have been incorporated into the design.

Artist/s Statement:

This piece is based on a map of the southern stars. Stars emerge and recede and new ones are named. Many familiar stars form images such as the Southern Cross, the saucepan etc. A number of stars have been added to create a chair. It is a chair that hasn’t come into being (and probably never will). Waiting for a Sign is not an inactive idea but one that refers to our increasing knowledge as new ideas emerge. I wanted the directions on the work to be ambiguous. Even as I was installing it a man walked past and said, “Geez mate, that’s bloody confusing.” I bought a small star map and replicated it as you would if you held it up to the sky. When the map is swung around to be on the ground, two of the directions are incorrect. I liked this as the idea of where are we in the universe is fairly abstract.