George Rose – Argus Building Murals (2022 & 2024)
📍 Location: Argus Apartments, 6 Cardona Court, Darwin NT
🎨 Artist: George Rose
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These two towering murals by Australian artist George Rose transform the façades of the Argus Apartments in Darwin into vibrant floral wonderlands, created two years apart as part of the Darwin Street Art Festival.

2022 Sand Plains (Blue Side)
This piece features an electric cascade of native flowers in a surreal palette of purples, teals, and neon yellows set against a deep indigo backdrop. With its sweeping vertical composition and organic forms, it creates a dreamlike jungle where petals and stems seem to dance between the windows of the building.

This 10-storey artwork is a vibrant tribute to Darwin’s unique biodiversity, particularly highlighting rare species endemic to the region's sand plain habitats. The mural features intricate depictions of bladderworts—small, carnivorous aquatic plants thriving in the wetlands near Darwin. Through its dynamic composition and electric palette, "Sand Plains" celebrates the natural beauty of the Top End and stands as a striking addition to the city's artistic landscape. (George Rose, habitatbyresene.co.nz)

For more information and visuals of the mural, you can visit George Rose's official website: George Rose – Sand Plains.

2024 “Progression” (Red Side)
In contrast, the 2024 mural bursts from a rich red wall, showcasing George’s signature stylised florals and birds. Bold outlines and warm, glowing gradients in peach, lavender, and turquoise highlight tropical blooms and native fauna, all flowing harmoniously around the windows. A whimsical, layered composition evokes the vibrancy and warmth of the Top End’s flora and fauna.

"Progression" features a dynamic composition of stylised native flora, rendered in bold reds, oranges, and purples, cascading down the building's façade. The artwork draws inspiration from the Stylidiaceae family—plants native to the Northern Territory—and incorporates imagery collected from George's travels. The mural's design reflects themes of growth and transformation, symbolising the continuum of time and the interconnection between past, present, and future through the universal language of flora. (George Rose)

Together, "Sand Plains" and "Progression" transform the Argus Apartments into a towering tribute to Darwin's rich natural heritage, showcasing George Rose's signature use of vibrant colours and intricate botanical motifs.

Together, these works not only celebrate Darwin’s unique biodiversity but also George Rose’s evolution as an artist — blending typography, colour theory, and native botanical elements into monumental public art.