Three pieces of public art, including a white steel cloud arch standing more than 50 metres high, an oversized milk crate which will stand 13.7 metres high, and 60 handmade bronze bird sculptures, were unveiled for the city centre on Tuesday. 

Mr Perram said he thought the works, which were chosen by a panel of public art experts appointed by the city, were fantastic.

“They are all really interesting works, I think the whole idea of having a cloud arch crossing George Street is really interesting and I think it will really stand out,” he said.

He said he thought the artist Junya Ishigami, who designed the milk crate, did a wonderful job at taking everyday objects and making them interesting pieces of artwork.

Mr Perram said it was wonderful that the City of Sydney was investing in public art. 

“Public sculptures really define a space and can help focus attention on a particular area,” he said. “Artworks like these, they get identified with places and become pivotal works.”

Mr Perram said he felt that, in the long term, the controversy around the artworks would die down.

He said there had once been uproar over buildings like the Sydney Opera House and the Eiffel Tower, which had become iconic landmarks. 

“It just goes to show how misguided a lot of people can be about art and architecture,” he said. “People who don’t really understand art, tend to react to these announcements by being silly.

“A lot of people make a comment on the sculpture, but don’t make an attempt to look at it or take the time to figure out what it is about.”

Mr Perram said public artwork played a key role in attracting people to public spaces.

He said Bathurst’s newest sculpture, Redjar Redbottle, demonstrated how an artwork could transform an area.

“Philip Spelman’s sculpture is a fantastic work and the art community are loving it,” he said. “It’s bright, it stands out and really defines the space.”

He said lots of people had been taking photos with the sculpture since it was installed in the gallery forecourt in May.

Mr Perram said he thought the work would become a real icon of Keppel Street once the forecourt wall was knocked down and the space was opened up to the street.

When asked if the forecourt which features Redjar Redbottle and Ann Ferguson’s Pink Rose Bowl would be transformed into a sculpture garden, Mr Perram said Bathurst Regional Council was in the middle of formulating a cultural plan.

“From that a public art policy will be created, so that we have quality artworks and don’t end up with anything that is inappropriate,” he said.

He said it was likely that they would only look at adding one more artwork to the forecourt. 

“It’s not a very large space, we may put something in between the two sculptures, that doesn’t clash with either of the works by Ferguson or Spelman.

“It may take some time to find the right work, we will have to see what is appropriate.”