TRAVERSE Issue 21 - December 2020 | Page 21

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volunteered its Italianate Town Hall for the work to take place , the 150 locals amused by the antics within . Menzies once had a population of around 10,000 people and like many gold towns of late 19th century Western Australia it declined as the supply of gold dwindled . The Insiders knew there was something special in this land . Today a handful of historic buildings remain , scattered amongst the deserted streets . The town hall the standout building with its clock tower resplendent , standing proud of a timepiece that was fitted 120 years after construction .
Gus remained , standing sentinel as he watched over me , the sun ever closer to breaking above the horizon . I was enjoying this encounter , his nakedness no longer a problem , perhaps I was dealing with my own inadequacies .
Scanned and body mapped , the naked locals were now formed into moulds and cast in iron . Gormley ventured onto the dry salt and placed his people , his Insiders , his work Inside Australia . The Insiders scattered across 10 square kilometres , all not visible from the one spot ; walk to one , discover the next and walk on . A walk on the salt can take several hours to visit each of the Insiders if all can be found .
A warm still seemed to spread across the land , Gus continued to stare . I wondered what he had seen during his time on this land . The many sunrises , sunsets , and star filled nights . The scorching heat of the outback Western Australian goldfields and rains brought from far off storms .
Inanimate , yet full of life , Gus seemed to speak . I looked skyward and noticed the remains of night fade as the brightest stars were snuffed by the approaching sun . Were the Seven Sisters still above or roaming the lake . Gus implied a
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