Grow Your Own (sculpture)
| Grow Your Own | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | James Angus |
| Year | 2011 |
| Medium | Aluminium, steel, enamel |
| Location |
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Grow Your Own is a public sculpture situated in Forrest Place, located in the central business district (CBD) of Perth, Western Australia. Created by artist James Angus and unveiled in 2011, the sculpture is notable for its large scale, bright green colour, and abstract form. It has become a landmark and meeting place,[1] and is colloquially referred to as the Cactus due to its resemblance with a stylised plant.[2]
Description and history
The sculpture stands at approximately 6.5 metres (21 ft) tall, 11 metres (36 ft) long and 3 metres (9.8 ft) wide.[3] It is made from hollow-cast aluminium, steel, and painted in industrial-grade enamel.
The sculpture is inspired by the grow-your-own organic farming movement of the early 20th century which coincided with the beginnings of Modernist sculpture. Angus wanted the sculpture to interact with its surroundings saying "There are all these viewing angles where you map the shape of the sculpture against the city that has already been built. It is sort of like a template for the future but also something that looked like it came from the past."[4]
The sculpture was commissioned by the City of Perth and the Government of Western Australia as part of a broader public art initiative. It was selected by a jury in 2009 from over 200 international submissions and,[5][4] at the time, represented the largest public art commission undertaken in the state. Fabrication of the sculpture took about a year.[4] At the time, it cost approximately A$1 million,[3] equivalent to A$1.3 million in 2022.
On 18 April 2026, a "Worship the Cactus" event drew thousands to the Grow Your Own sculpture "to 'hail the great cactus' in a bizarre display of devotion to the CBD sculpture."[6] Evolving as a social media trend over the fortnight prior to 18 April, with some "teens and young adults congregating at [... the] artwork and worshipping the lime green icon" during that time,[7] the event went ahead despite being cancelled. Bradley Innes, organiser of the event, later expressed hope that the "Worship the Cactus" celebration could become an official, annual event with the City of Perth's co-operation.[1]
Reception
Since its installation, Grow Your Own has received mixed reactions from the public and media.[8] In 2023, there were talks about the sculpture being moved to make way for a Forrest Place redevelopment.[9]
See also
References
- 1 2 Gannon, Sophie (21 April 2026). "All hail the Cactus: Organiser wants an annual cactus festival in Perth following his 'iconic' viral event". PerthNow. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
- ↑ Naglazas, Mark (27 October 2023). "Is our Cactus cactus? Zempilas hints that Perth's polarising public art is facing the chop". WAtoday. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- 1 2 Mullany, Ashlee (18 August 2011). "$1m sculpture erected in Forrest Place". PerthNow. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- 1 2 3 Bevis, Stephen (15 September 2011). "City home for a green giant". The West Australian. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ Department of Culture and Arts (23 September 2011). "Home-grown artwork sprouts in city". Department of Culture and the Arts. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ Lichtenstein, Kirsty (18 April 2026). "'All hail the cactus': Thousands of meme lovers hail Perth's iconic green cactus sculpture in Forrest Chase". PerthNow. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
- ↑ Bescoby, Tegwen (15 April 2026). "All hail the Cactus: How a TikTok promoting a Forrest Place gathering quickly won over worshippers". PerthNow. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ "Can YOU tell what this is meant to be?". PerthNow. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
- ↑ "Why 'cactus' could be removed from Forrest Place". The West Australian. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2025.