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Artists Mel McVee and Jamin are transforming public spaces 'into a destination' By Annika Rhoades March 20 2024 - 4:30am

Artists Jamin and Mel McVee with their murals on the Paterson St East car park. Picture by Paul Scambler

If you've strolled past Paterson St East car park recently, you might have seen two artists hard at work painting their murals.

Artists Mel McVee and Jamin were selected to transform the facade of the car park, which is nearing completion.

With the murals on two separate walls, Ms McVee said "it gives that idea of a totem kind of feeling".

While the murals are different in many ways - Launceston-based Ms McVee hand-painted while Hobart-based Jamin used spray paint - Ms McVee said "it's a really amazing opportunity for people to see how two very different styles of artwork can come together and how they can change a city".

"Cities are notoriously heavily built places with concrete and brick, and a lot of times they can feel quite oppressive; it's not a place to linger," she said.

"Whether it be artwork or landscaping or places to sit and stay, it actually adds a certain kind of interest and engagement for people using the city."

By bringing art into public spaces, Ms McVee hopes it encourages people to think of the city as a destination, rather than a pit stop.

Showcasing Launceston's unique flora and fauna

According to Ms McVee, the theme of the murals is "a celebration of the beauty of our natural flora and fauna in the area".

Having grown up in the country, Ms McVee said "a lot of my artworks are about native flora".

"For [the mural], I've chosen the flora from Cataract Gorge, some of the more unique species you can find while walking along the pathways, and a little female scarlet robin," she said.

Mel McVee and her mural of local flora and fauna on the Paterson St East car park. Picture by Paul Scambler

Mel McVee and her mural of local flora and fauna on the Paterson St East car park. Picture by Paul Scambler

"I love painting female birds because usually it's the male birds that get painted due to their beautiful plumage. So whenever I can, I try to do the female birds as they're a little bit more subtle in their colouring."

The two artists were selected following the City of Launceston and Tasmanian street art advocacy collective Vibrance's Expression of Interest late last year.