Feature Article
'Portal,' a unique sound sculpture which produced a gentle, meditative sound generated by wind through the central 'portal' by South West artist Dan Eaton was the winner of the inaugural 2007 Boardwalk Sculpture Festival at Mindarie Marina.
There was a time when sculpture was the poor cousin of two dimensional works, relegated in comparison with a small population of devotees with limited opportunities to exhibit. A quiet explosion in demand for public art in Western Australia in particular, has seen sculptors in the field busier than ever, in some cases, battling to keep pace with a number of requests. While Central TAFE has developed a new course for artists hoping to break into the field, there remains the age-old problem of artists new to public art convincing selection panels of their capacity to complete works without hard experience in the field to back their claims.
Established and prospective public art sculptors now have an opportunity to exhibit their capabilities, not only in the often limited domain of the gallery where large - scale works are nigh on impossible to exhibit, but to the art community and the general public, in public spaces, through several channels. Sculpture by the Sea, having just completed its fourth annual show at Cottesloe Beach, quelled the cynics by demonstrating the concept of an outdoor sculpture show in a very public place could work, and would be supported by both the art community and the general public. In Perth, two additional sculpture competitions have developed, providing more opportunities for sculptors, and an opportunistic window to further foster the curiosity of the public towards the visual arts in the months following Sculpture by the Sea.
The inaugural Boardwalk Sculpture Festival in May last year at Mindarie Marina attracted a huge amount of visitors who were, as with Sculpture by the Sea, amazed with the diversity of works and the creativity of participants. The Marina is a driving force in promoting the area as a vibrant cultural and recreational destination, providing live entertainment and an artist-in-residence throughout the weekend-long exhibition as an added attraction to visit the show. The City of Wanneroo has also offered non-acquisitive prize money this year, in addition to the major prize sponsored by Mindarie Marina.
'polyp-haus', cane and steel by Jon Denaro was purchased by the City of Rockingham at Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe 2007 for inclusion in the foyer of the Waterfront Village Community Centre, now under construction.
The City of Rockingham's Castaways Sculpture Awards for recycled sculpture has been held since 2005 as a relatively small part of the City's annual Australia Day celebrations on the Foreshore each January. Underlining its commitment to providing and supporting cultural opportunities for residents and visitors to the region, the City will present Castaways as an event in its own right, opening on the first weekend in April for one week on the Foreshore near the Cruising Yacht Club. As a point of difference, Castaways raises public awareness of recycling, and through it the City highlights the importance of preserving the environment globally.
Major sponsors Alcoa, together with the Weekend Courier, BHP Billiton, International Power Matsui, Rockingham City Shopping Centre and the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council all moved quickly to support the event through prizes, an educational program, administrative costs and in-kind support. Castaways links to larger vision for public art within the City of Rockingham, with several exciting projects either in progress or on the drawing board, with many public art opportunities being created. Last year the City purchased polyp-haus, a cane and steel sculpture by Jon Denaro from Sculpture by the Sea in Cottesloe, which is destined for the foyer of the new Waterfront Village Community Centre currently under construction. The work will make its debut to the residents of Rockingham during Castaways.
Alcoa, which offers a major non-acquisitive prize of $5000 for recycled sculpture with an aluminium component, is also a major sponsor of Sculpture by the Sea, along with NAB. The sponsorship of both exhibitions underlines Alcoa's creative commitment to the community. Alan Cransberg, Managing Director of Alcoa said, "at Alcoa we believe creative communities are stronger communities, so it's with great pleasure we continue our support and the extension of our product, aluminium, through the arts." During Sculpture by the Sea, Alcoa announced its purchase from the exhibition of time frame, in marine grade aluminium by Derek Roach as a gift to the residents of the Town of Kwinana.
The NAB $10,000 scholarship at Sculpture by the Sea is designed to give artists the opportunity to advance their career to the next level. Bruce Slatter, last year's recipient, used the scholarship to travel to exhibitions around the world.
Andrew Whitechurch, State General Manager WA, Business Banking of NAB, Alcoa Managing Director Alan Cransberg and Founding Director David Handley at the launch of Sculpture by the Sea 2008 at Cottesloe.
Sponsorship is a crucial facet of bringing outdoor sculpture competitions to a critical mass. Both Mindarie Marina and the City of Rockingham have invested funds into the future of sculpture in Western Australia as two of the handful of sculpture competitions in the state. The wider repercussions of events such as these is likely to further enhance Western Australia's growing reputation as a leader in opportunities for sculptors, and pave the way for further experimentation, through best practice, to achieve higher points of creative excellence.