A sprinkle of dark Christmas magic has brought to life a West Footscray window that is said to rival Myer’s own.
Made entirely from found objects, the dark kinetic wonderland of Jos Van Hulsen’s ‘Xmas vaudeville’ at Post Industrial Design contains a sprinkle of steampunk, a pinch of Tim Burton and a splash of Day of the Dead.
Ferris wheels spin, planes fly about and a series of chain reactions interplay in the midst of a landscape featuring numerous loving nods to the western suburbs, right down to a miniature Baby Guerille paste-up.
The sculptor said he wanted to create a world that bought wonder and magic back to Christmas.
“As an artist, you cannot ask for much more than watching a sea of children, hands pressed to the glass, mesmerised,” he said. “Just to see people so engaged and fascinated gives me such a thrill. This is what I aspire to when developing a work.
“I have had such fun working on this year’s installation.”
Van Hulsen’s display is fast becoming a western suburbs institution, last year attracting more than 4000 visitors to see the work.
This year’s window is shaping up to attract even stronger audiences after more than 150 people flocked to the recent launch.
Post Industrial Design is located at 638 Barkly Street, West Footscray. The display operates daily, 8am–10pm, until January 10.
