All Aboard the Sneak Peek Express!
Here at The Cloudscape, we’re delighted to share a sneak peek of the second annual Sculpture at Scenic World exhibition. Opening tomorrow, April 24th, this year’s thirty-five sculptures and installations have been selected to be exhibited along the Scenic World 2.4km long Walkway, amongst the prehistoric rainforest of the Jamison Valley.
Sculpture Exhibition Manager, Lizzy Marshall enthuses that the range of work “truly expresses the diversification of sculpture as a discipline.” And with the exciting introduction of electricity to the Walkway, this year’s showcase is truly inclusive for those artists whose mediums are digital media, lumino kinetics, fluorescent lighting pieces – there’s even an immersive sound installation!
‘Birdhouse Coffins’ by Anthony Alston.
With significantly more applicants this year, many artists who submitted work came from outside Australia. This delights the team at Scenic World because it states, most emphatically that the Sculpture at Scenic World is becoming a fixture internationally and cementing its reputation as a world class event.
In part, this is due to the substantial Scenic World Acquisitive Award, worth $20,000 which hints just how seriously Scenic World is taking this venture. Dollars aside, the opportunity to show one’s work in a World Heritage Area, is one that the artist’s consider priceless. Wentworth Falls based artist, Selena Seifert says in responding to the beauty and fragility of the setting, her piece, ‘Fish Out Of Water,’ celebrates “the very watery feel of the rainforest, one which echoes the ancient rivers that carved out the enormous canyon.”
Judging of the Scenic World Acquisitive Award will be undertaken by Associate Professor, Alan Krell from UNSW’s College of Fine Arts; Allan Giddy, sculptor and Director of The Environmental Research Initiative for Art, COFA and Louise Olsen, Creative Director and Co-founder of Dinosaur Designs. As experts in the field of sculpture, this particular trio have been chosen, Lizzy Marshall explains for “the balance of aesthetics, integrity and experience,” that they bring to the judging process.
’Kern’ by Al Phemister.
This year’s exhibition also offers three other prizes: the $5,000 Artists Peer Award; open to exhibiting artists only, the $2,000 Scenic World Staff Award and as you wander the Walkway, make note of your favourite work so you can vote for the $1,000 People’s Choice Award, sponsored by The Carrington Hotel, Blue Mountains.
Complementing the Walkway exhibition is Sculpture Otherwise. Held indoors, it highlights the diverse skill base which comprises artistic practise today. Works include maquettes, drawings, photographs, video and small scale sculptures supplied by some of the exhibitors included in the main Sculpture at Scenic World program. It’s a fascinating insight into how sculptors work towards realising their desired outcomes.
’Labyrinth Phantom’ by Al Stark.
Additionally, the Public Programs have been extended to include Sculpture for Small People. Exhibiting artists will be leading kid focused workshops, designed specifically to enhance your youngsters’ appreciation of the exhibition. Bookings are essential and cleverly provide parents with a small window to peruse Sculpture Otherwise or even a quiet coffee and a artistic debrief at the Terrace Cafe. Also keep in mind that Sundays will feature free guided tours, specifically devised for those with kids in tow.
Whether you’re a sculpture aficionado or simply curious to see an ancient valley transformed into a gallery of world class proportions, be sure to ride Scenic World’s brand new train down to the Walkway this autumn. You’ve got until May 19th before Sculpture at Scenic World departs for the year, so all aboard, art lovers, this is a journey not to be missed!
For more information and to book for the Public Program, please visit Sculpture at Scenic World
Words by KERIS MACARTHUR / Images by ANN NIDDRIE*
except for the thumbnail on the front page, which is a detail from ‘Fish Out Of Water,’ courtesy of the artist , SELENA SEIFERT*
