Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHONAsk any Melburnian what the Yellow Peril is, and they'll grin and tell you it's a huge yellow sculpture that has always generated controversy.
Officially, the sculpture by Ron Robertson-Swann is called "Vault". But because us Melbourne folk love nicknames and we love irreverence, we christened it the Yellow Peril even before the sculptor had given it an official title.
The concept emerged in 1978, but it was apparently two years before Robertson-Swann decided to christen it "Vault". However, workmen who put the whole thing together began to refer to it as "Steelhenge".
These photographs were taken some months ago, on an early spring afternoon. This last shot (above) was taken inside the sculpture, to give you a worm's-eye view of the street alongside. If you ask me, the sculpture could either be an oversized Rubik's puzzle, a child's rendering of the Apollo XI lunar module, or a manic pack of giant monochrome cards. Have a look at the shots and let me know what you think.
