40 cows invade the Perth CBD for the ‘Cow Parade’.

By Rhys Prka A herd of life-sized fibreglass cows designed by local artists and dotted around the city is about to become Perth’s latest and possibly strangest attraction. Since 1998, there have been 79 so-called ‘Cow Parades’ around the world but the Perth event is taking a new approach. Instead of members of the community offering to paint the cows, the Perth Public Art Foundation and Artsource invited local artists to take part. Each cow weighs 60-kilograms and is 2.8 metres long. The Cow Parade is the world’s biggest public art event. The cows were sent to Perth unpainted and 40 artists worked in a workshop transforming them into a public art display. Gavin Buckley, CEO of Artsource, helped organise the event and praises the talent of the artists. “[It] showcases the immense and diverse talent we have in WA,” Mr Buckley said. Lucy Griffin, 19,was fascinated by the cows and admired the artwork. “I’m not sure why these cows are all over the place…but I think there great,” she said. Another onlooker, Brian Parker, 34, said he liked finding new cows. “It’s great to walk around and see another cow, it’s like an Easter egg hunt,” he said. The event will continue for six weeks in malls, parks and iconic buildings and locations. The cows will then be moved to permanent homes around Perth, including the Perth Airport and the Art Gallery of Western Australia.