The large-scale artwork on the township of Karoonda’s Viterra Silos was completed last week, ending the 6 week long project that involved Onsite’s 180ft Genie SX180 Boom Lift.
In June, we rented out two of our Boom Lifts to the District Council of Karoonda East Murray so that renowned Australian artist, Heesco, could add his signature style to the town’s iconic silos.
Heesco Khosnaran, who goes by Heesco, has been making his mark on silos across regional Australia, having recently completed murals in the New South Wales towns of Grenfell and Weethalle.
On Sunday, July 28, Heesco finished transforming the Viterra Silos into a colourful tribute to the town’s farming heritage. The mural features Diamond, a locally famous sheep of the Merino breed, and Whisky the Kelpie, a working farm dog also well known in the close-knit community for being adventurous and friendly. Alongside these characters are Karoonda’s historic steam train and station, local birds, and snapshots of the town’s unique farming landscape.
Artist at work: Heesco aboard Onsite’s 180ft Genie SX180 Boom Lift
The spray-painted artwork is of a grand scale, covering the full height of the silos in some areas.
When asked to comment on how challenging it is to paint silos, Heesco advised, “It’s really difficult”, he was recorded saying in a video interview posted on Karoonda Silo Art’s official Facebook page.
The artist needed to able to reach great heights in order to paint the Viterra Silos, the largest silos he has ever painted. The curved nature of the canvas also meant Heesco required a nimble solution that would allow him to swiftly position himself into a wide range or coordinates.
The unique characteristic of the 30-degree rotating jib function of Onsite’s 180ft Genie SX180 Boom Lift enabled Heesco to maneuver his way around the silos and complete his artwork in detail.
Karoonda Silo Art’s organisers expressed gratitude to Onsite for our contribution to the project in an article on their official website, “Thank you Onsite Rental Group for providing hire of the massive Boom Lifts! Your prompt and regular customer service supporting Heesco with lift technicalities was fantastic.”
The finished mural on Karoonda’s Viterra Silos
Onsite Rental Group’s Adelaide Branch has been providing working-at-height solutions for many large-scale artworks and murals within Adelaide metro and regional areas for decades.
Onsite thanks Heesco, the District Council of Karoonda East Murray, it’s Mayor, Caroline Phillips, and CEO, Matthew Morgan for the opportunity to contribute to this unique project that has become an attraction for the community.
The Karoonda Silo Art project was funded by the Federal Government’s Drought Communities Fund, courtesy of Tony Pasin MP.
To find out more about our wide range of access equipment, please visit https://www.onsite.com.au/gear/access/ or call 13 40 40 to speak to someone today.
Photos by: Leah Parsons, Awoken Elk Media
