UWS Sculpture Award 2008 Invitation (PDF, 2.23 MB) - Art Gallery ...

ESSAYThe third University of Western Sydney Acquisitive Sculpture Award 2008The prominent position of sculpture within thegrounds of universities was established in thenineteenth century with traditional commemorativefigure sculptures placed within halls, corridors andcourtyards and decorative additions made to largebuildings, but throughout the twentieth century,with the rise of campus type universities, architects,designers and university administrators haveinstalled contemporary sculpture to decorate theirfoyers, walls and open spaces. The placement ofcontemporary sculpture on campus lawns is an ideaoriginally from the US but which has been used togreat effect throughout Australia.The long term UWS project of exhibiting some twentyworks around its Campbelltown campus, for a monthevery two years, and then selecting one to stay, is avisionary one. It enables large scale sculpture to beseen as it has always meant to be seen: as objectsthat one has to negotiate physically, as it sharesthe space with us and loses the preciousness anddistance it can have in gallery environments. Theincreased reputation of the UWS prize has seen manyartists plan singularly architectural or monumentalworks that can take their place alongside theprevious winners, Michael Le Grand and GrantCalvin and enabled them to envisage their work’s lifeoutside of the studio. All of the artists have an eye tocreate a permanent object which will age gracefullyand add to the changing moods of the landscapeand not have its impact diminish as the surroundingtrees grow.Three figurative works reflect the environmentsappropriate to their activities. Clara Hali’s restfulcrouching figure Coming to Water blends with thedominating lakes and evokes thoughts of thirst:the environmental message is subtle and effective.Col Henry’s Is it our turn yet?, a group of elevencolcast and glass figures playing cricket, suggests agroup pastime for the grounds and its liveliness andfamiliarity engages viewers. It is the most immediatelyinteractive work in the exhibition. Phyllis Koshland’sacrobatic troupe – Launch – is a playful and stylizedtake on group cooperation, with effort and supportas necessary elements.Evocative expressions of the human condition canbe seen in Kerry Cannon’s A Congaline of Suckholeswhich manipulates figures into grotesque creaturesfor comic political purposes, reminding us of theprevious local member’s colourful vocabulary, andin Jon Eiseman’s Birds of a Feather, a symbolicexploration of human vulnerability, with a large handsupporting two watchful birds and a bird/humanfigure.The animal works, Des McKenna’s “Gertie” theGoanna and Mongrel Country (Nil Tenure) byAmanda Stuart play with the forms and symbolism ofAustralian indigenous and feral animals. “Gertie” theGoanna intrigues because of its scale and colour;Stuart’s work explores hybrid type animals that area result of human intervention in the environment.Both are at home roaming freely in this landscape,ironically near suburbia.1

Works that use the lakes as an inspiration havereferred to the theme of water in individual ways andcreated works that please aesthetically, as well asrefer to our contemporary interests. These includeRon Gomboc ‘s Nature’s Balance, a stylistic versionof a whale tail, slick and seductive in its sweepand patina, its topicality imbuing it with an addeddisturbing sense and Janet Coyne’s Mindscape,an organic form that appears to float on the lake’ssurface, emulating the illusionism created by the lakeitself which is only one metre deep. Louise Dawsonhighlights the topical issue of water consumption inher tree like Water Sculpture, a conglomeration ofgarden hoses; and Cassandra Hard Lawrie refers tothe mysteries of water life with her sea shells andmammals in Origins (5). Rae Bolotin’s Peeled World,stands alone as a monumental piece reworking anorganic form. This clever red enamel and reflectivestainless steel apple peel is at once dramatic andplayful and gives permanence to an everydayperishable natural form.Sculptures exploring architectural and monumentforms proclaim themselves as man-made, designedforms, coexisting with the natural world and notattempting to imitate it. Three works are largescale representations of their artists’ feelings aboutmortality and relate to eternal questions of themeanings of life. Nano by Matthew Harding exploresthe influence on nano science of the growth patternsof living organisms and on our self perception witha stainless steel globe; Nigel Harrison’s Life Turning1 (one) is an abstracted heart form of stainlesssteel, expressing his personal fear of mortality; andMichael Sibel has reworked the Medieval Wheel ofFortune with animals, with Carousel.Tim Wetherell’s Transit of Venus places the modelsof the sun and Venus on a stylized stand. Itsdouble reference is of course to the astronomicalphenomenon and its importance to the foundingof eastern Australia. Charlie Trivers places a snake,representing consumerism onto a “cardboard carton”plinth to comment upon the place of consumptionin our society in Dynamic Supermarketism AnimadversionComposition Number 2.Marcus Tatton’s Digital Litter places the 0s and 1s ofdigital technology in a random pattern like ruins froman archaic building and Rusi Jass’ pun on Edwardde Bono‘s maxim of Think outside the square, acombination of architectural and organic forms, relateto their locations within a University campus. Thesetitles would be meaningless to previous generationsand show artists utilizing traditional forms and mediato speak to contemporary audiences. Rick Clise’sMoved On, a pun on a contemporary phrase aboutproblematic relationships, cleverly removes a heartfrom a block and places it at a distance, therebycreating two works that play with the natural humanemotional softness and hard edged shapes.Gary Deirmendjian and Akira Kamada presentconstructions that aspire to higher values:Deirmendjian’s Brancusi’s Nest to that artist’smonumental Endless Column; and Kamada’s to thephysical bonds and interlocking necessary to builda cohesive society in Three.2

Michael Snape’s Besides is a visual pun which playswith the notion of the usual usage of the word atthe beginning of adverbial clauses to strengthenarguments, when Snape claims that it weakensthem since it is an addition to bolster a defence. Inthis sense the curved steel slab is the argument,weighing down upon the defence. CampbellRobertson-Swann’s The Bush Ranger extendsarguably twentieth century Australian art’s mostfamous image, Ned Kelly’s black helmet, into aarchitectural form that seems to be peering over thelandscape, rather like a would-be sniper. Its solidityis undercut by its curved form and the wit inherentin the pose.Whether the artists have chosen figurative orabstracted forms, they have done so with clearand unique visions of the site in mind: that is, thephysical landscape and the concept that this is alearning institution where people from all differentbackgrounds and interests gather and where ideasand conflicting philosophies are studied and debated.The combinations of seductive aesthetics and thesophisticated concepts and multi layered meaningsgive the works their strengths and ensure that theydemand contemplation: surely a manifestation oftheir success.Writer’s BiographyMichael Hedger is Cultural and Information ServicesManager at Manly Council and was previouslyManager Visitor Services at the Australian NationalMaritime Museum. From 1999–2003 he was theDirector of the Campbelltown City Art Gallery andoversaw the establishment of its Sculpture Garden.Before this he was Deputy Director of the BritishCouncil, Australia and Education Manager at theNewcastle Region Art Gallery. He is the author ofPublic Sculpture in Australia and numerous articleson sculpture and has overseen the commissioningof many large public sculptural works. He is a formerjudge of the UWS Sculpture Prize and a committeemember of the Woollahra Sculpture Prize.Michael HedgerCultural and Information Services Manager,Manly Council3

LIST OF WORKSRae BolotinPeeled World2007Stainless steel, baked enamel180cm x 160cm x 140cmWeight 60 kgRepresented by Stella DownerFine ArtKerry CannonA Congaline of Suckholes2006Bronze, steel and paint50cm x 60cm x 30cmWeight 80 kgRepresented by Ceramic BreakSculpture ParkRick CliseMoved On2006Welded and painted steel150cm x 150cm x 50cmWeight 500kgJanet CoyneMindscape2006Fibreglass and resin114cm x 140cmWeight 20 kgLouisa DawsonWater Sculpture2008Aluminium and garden hose180cm x180cm x 180cmWeight 80 kgGary DeirmendjianBrancusi’s Nest2008Treated timber, acrylic primerand paint284cm x 132cm x 132cmWeight 140 kgJon EisemanBirds of a Feather2007Bronze and Steel180cm x 52cm x 35cmWeight 50 kgR.M. (Ron) GombocNature’s Balance2007Marine grade 4mm aluminiumanodised and two pack paint316cm x 114cm x 80cmWeight 200 kgRepresented by Gomboc GalleryClara HaliComing to Water2008Bronze55cm x 110cm x 55cmWeight 150 kgRepresented by Stella DownerFine ArtCassandra Hard LawrieOrigins (5)2008Timber, MDF, epoxy resin,pigment and found objects150cm x 65cm x 50cmWeight 45 kgMatthew HardingNano2007Stainless steel220cm x 220cm x 220cmWeight 80 kgRepresented by Australian ArtResourcesNigel HarrisonLife Turning 1 (one)2007Stainless steel, timber and water160cm x 240cm x 240cmWeight 400kg4

Col HenryIs it our turn yet ?2008Colcast and prue glass,galvanised rods200cm x 400cm x 600cmWeigth 100 kgComprised of 11 piecesRudi JassThink outside the square2008Stainless steel and corten steel240cm x 140cm x 60cmWeight 120 kgRepresented by Australian ArtResourcesAkira KamadaThree2008Timber, metal and paint70cm x 250cm x 280cmWeight 300 kgPhyllis KoshlandLaunch2007Laser cut mild steel240cm x 495cm x 75cmWeight 400 kgDes McKenna“Gertie” the Goanna2008River red gum, Du Pont “Corian”and rubber170cm x 50cm x 40cmWeight 120 kgCampbell Robertson – SwannThe Bush Ranger2008Stainless steel, mild steel220cm x 220cm x 70cmWeight 200kgRepresented by Defiance GalleryMichael SibelCarousel2008Bronze, timber, stainless andmild steel280cm x 350cm x 180cmWeight 250 kgRepresented by Australian ArtResourcesMichael SnapeBesides2007Painted steel237cm x 170cm x 140cmWeight 800 kgRepresented by AustralianGalleriesAmanda StuartMongrel Country (Nil Tenure)2007/08Steel, found object associatedwith farms (fencing, bones andscrap metal) and cast elements,textiles, bitumen80cm x 150cm x 30cmWeight 4 kgComprised of 13 piecesMarcus TattonDigital Litter2008Steel, welded and naturallyweathered180cm x 5000cm x 5000cmWeight 1200 kgCharlie TriversDynamic SupermarketismAnimadversion CompositionNumber 22008Painted steel250cm x 180cm x 180cmWeight 300 kgRepresented by Defiance GalleryTim WetherellTransit of Venus2008Steel and brass185cm x 70cm x 80cmWeight 70 kg5

Rae BolotinArtist StatementThis work is a continuation of my interest in the formof the apple peel, its ability to take on new geometry,while retaining the memory of the original shape.My interest is not in what is revealed by the peelingprocess but in the language of form of the peelitself.Artist BiographyBorn Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from European parents,Rae has been living in Australian since 1979 and hastravelled the world extensively.Rae works in concrete, stainless steel, brass andother media.Solo Exhibitions2007 Stella Downer Fine Art Gallery2006 Stella Downer Fine Art Gallery2006 Red Gate Gallery, Beijing2005 Stella Downer Fine Art Gallery2004 Sculpture Lab2003 Sculpture Lab2001 Soho GalleriesGroup Exhibitions2007 Sculpture by the Sea2007 Wynn Prize AGNSW2007 Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Prize2006 Sculpture by the Sea2006 UWS Acquisitive Sculpture Award andExhibition2006 Willoughby City Art Prize(the winner Sculpture Prize)2005 AMP Sculpture at Circular Quay Sydney2005 Inaugural exhibition Hawkesbury RegionalGallery2004 UWS Acquisitive Sculpture Award andExhibition2004 Sculpture by the Sea2004 Sculpture in the Vines2003 Sculpture by the Sea2003 Sculpture in the Vines2002 Sculpture in the City2002 The Woollahra Sculpture Prize2001 Waverley Art Prize6

Peeled World, 2007, Stainless steel, baked enamel, 180cm x 160cm x 140cm, Weight 60kgRepresented by Stella Downer Fine Art7

Kerry CannonArtist StatementOne of Mark Latham’s special quotes was calling thecoalition, “A Congaline of Suckholes”. These daysMark Latham is seldom remembered except as ahorrible mistake. A mistake he might have been, buta mistake that almost won the election. This sculpturerevisits this interesting moment in Australian politicalhistory.Artist BiographyKerry creates one bronze sculpture per year and2-3 large works for his Ceramic Break SculpturePark located in rural NSW. He is a narrative artist,who tells stories with his compositions. Like a threedimensional comic, his bronzes paste togetherstories. He creates an exhibitIon annually inNSW, Victoria and Queensland, as well as havingexhibited work internationally in USA, Italy, Chinaand Japan.Exhibitions2007 The Shanghai Art FairThe Fishers Ghost AwardThe Warwick Art Prize Queensland(First prize winner for 3-D Award)8

A Congaline of Suckholes, 2006, Bronze, steel and paint, 50cm x 60cm x 30cm, Weight 80kgRepresented by Ceramic Break Sculpture Park9

Rick CliseArtist Statement‘The risk of loving too hard – someone gets leftbehind.’Artist BiographyRick is in his fifth year of professional practice as asculptor, working mainly in steel. His artwork oftenrelates to relationships and the humour of life. Hissculptures have been chosen as finalists in many ofthe major sculpture exhibitions in Australia includingSculpture by the Sea (Bondi and Cottesloe), MontaltoSculpture Prize, Yering Station Sculpture Exhibitionand Prize, Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, ToorakVillage Festival of Sculpture and the Palmer SculptureLandscape Biennial.Solo Exhibitions2008 Art Images Gallery, Norwood, SA2007 ‘Rick Clise – Sculpture’Prospect Gallery, Prospect, SA‘Sculpture in the Garden’ SALA,Adelaide, SA2006 ‘Sculpture in the Garden’ SALA,Adelaide, SASelected Group Exhibitions2008 Stanthorpe Art Prize, Stanthorpe, QLDUniversity of Western Sydney AcquisitiveSculpture Award and Exhibition, NSW2007 The Montalto Sculpture Prize, Red HillSouth, VICSculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe, WA2006 Yering Station Sculpture Exhibition, YarraGlen, VICSculpture by the Sea, Bondi, NSWSculpturing Norwood, Norwood, SAToorak Village Festival of Sculpture,Toorak, VIC‘Beyond 2D’, Adelaide Central gallery2,Norwood, SA Palmer Sculpture LandscapeBiennale, Palmer, SAZoo Art Walk, Adelaide Zoo, SAThe Montalto Sculpture Prize, Red HillSouth, VIC2005 The Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize,Woollahra, NSW‘Objects and Images’, St Ignatius College,Adelaide, SA ‘Metalworks’, the arts centre,Noarlunga, SAPhotograph courtesy of ‘A & D Hewat’.10

‘Moved On’, 2006, Welded and painted steel, 150cm x 150cm x 50cm, Weight 500kg11

Janet CoyneArtist StatementSculpture is food for the soul – it nourishes,invigorates, challenges and nurtures, humbles andinspires. It returns you to your very essence.Inspiration for my pieces come from all around me: aleaf or seed pod, the play of light and shadow on anobject, a glimpse of something from the corner of myeye, a face, a painting or just a feeling of somethingwaiting to be discovered.To try and take something as intangible as athought or a feeling and create a three-dimensionalinterpretation of that is the challenge and the reward.Whether they be figurative or abstract they should befrom the heart and give pleasure to the senses.Artist BiographyJanet is a former business executive who aftera serious illness undertook a change in life. Shecommenced studies at the Tom Bass SculptureStudio School in 1999 and commenced full-timestudies at the Sculpture School in 2001. In 2003she began to assist in teaching at the school andin 2000 she was commissioned to sculpt a life size“Portrait Doll”, which was subsequently taken to thegrandparents of the child living in Italy.She was invited to exhibit in Women in Sculpture2000 and selected as a finalist in the Great SouthlandArt Prize and the Willoughby Art Prize 2003. Otherexhibitions include Blue Mountains SculptureExhibition, The Sculptor’s Society Exhibition Sydneyas well as exhibiting in major garden shows over thelast few years.Exhibitions2007 Sculptor’s Society Exhibition – SydneyRobyn Woodward Gallery – Glenbrook2006 Sculptor’s Society Exhibition – DarlingPark and Australia SquareSculpture in the Vineyard – WollombiBMAC E-Merge Exhibition – KatoombaBMAC LGA Exhibition – Peppers resortLeura2005 Sculpture 2005 Exhibition – Global Gallery.Tom Bass Sculpture Studio SchoolGallery BlackheathEden Gardens Sculpture Walk2004 Sculptor’s Society Exhibition – Darling ParkSculptor’s Society Exhibition – DomainTom Bass Sculpture Studio School StudentExhibition2003 The Great Southland Art Prize – FinalistWilloughby Art Prize – FinalistTom Bass Sculpture Studio School StudentExhibitionBlue Mountains Sculptors ExhibitionSculptor’s Society Exhibition – DomainSculptor’s Society Exhibition – Market PlaceAwards2004 ‘Symphony’ – Prize winner Sculptors SocietyExhibition12

Mindscape, 2006, Fibreglass and resin, 114cm x 140cm, Weight 20kg13

Louisa DawsonArtist StatementThis sculpture is a work that addresses issues ofdomestic water usage, irrigation, water restrictionsand the great outdoors. It does this by manipulating acommonly found object, the garden hose. The works“untidy” design is a playful reminder of the way hosesare frequently left in backyards or gardens afterwatering. The absurd size and scale of the sculpture,however, emphasises this common problem in aplayful and humorous way.Artist BiographyLouisa works with everyday objects to comment onsocial, cultural and functional aesthetics. She selectsmundane objects such as rubbish skips, suitcases,ladders and hoses and manipulate their form andfunction in a variety of ways, for example mixingdomestic objects with industrial objects to suggestan absurd but functional relationship.Exhibitions2007 Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award,Melbourne2006 Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi2005 Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award,Melbourne– received Emerging Art AwardSculpture by the Sea, Bondi2004 Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award,Melbourne– received Peoples Choice Award2001 Sculpture by the SeaHelen Lempriere Travelling Arts ScholarshipExhibition, Artspace SydneyShe has recently completed a Masters of Fine Arts atthe College of Fine Arts, UNSW. In 2007 she receivedan Australia Council residency at the InternationalStudio and Curatorial Program (ISCP), for six months,in New York. In 2007 she was a recipient of the RipeAward from NAVA and Art and Australia magazine. Anumber of her sculptures have been preselected forsculpture awards.14

Water Sculpture, 2008, Aluminium and garden hose, 180cm x 180cm x 180cm, Weight 80kg15

Gary DeirmendjianArtist Statement132 timber segments of consistent length arearranged as though scaffolding around a singlemodule from Constantin Brancusi’s “EndlessColumn” motif.The work stems from an ongoing interest in modulararrangements that produce visual striations due tothe complex of structural members interacting witheach other and their respective shadows. The workchanges constantly in response to available light andthe perspective of the viewer – their distance andmovement.Artist BiographySydney-based artist; Master of Fine Arts fromNational Art School; major outdoor exhibitionsinclude the Helen Lempriere, the McClelland Survey,Sculpture by the Sea and the UWS Sculpture Awardand Exhibition; has received several awards andpublic commissions.“Material sponsorship kindly provided byA.W. Swadling Timber & Hardware P/L”In a more private way it represents a flight fromthe nest of an influential figure in the artist’s earlydevelopment. It is at once a homage and a farewell.The work is compelled by a lifelong coming toterms with notions concerning existence, identityand belonging. All rest upon a firming appreciationof uncertainty and one’s own insignificance as abeing.16

Jon EisemanArtist StatementWith this work I continue to explore the frailty of thehuman psyche within a dreamlike context. I havedeveloped an iconography of personal symbols, inthe context of this work the birds are guardian figureswatching over a vulnerable humanity. My work is anexpression of the human condition with its hopes,fears and aspirations.Artist BiographyJon Eiseman studied fine art at Monash Universityfrom 1994 to 2000 in which time he achieved aBachelor of Arts (Fine Art) Honours and MastersDegree. He now works in the sculpture departmentat Monash University and has had numerous soloand group exhibitions throughout Australia.18

Birds of a Feather, 2007, Bronze and steel, 180cm x 52cm x 35cm, Weight 50kg19

R.M. (Ron) GombocArtist Statement“Close together in spirit – relationships of man andnature.”Artist BiographyRatimir Marijan Gomboc (better known as Ron) wasborn in Slovenia in 1947 and migrated to Australiawith his family in 1960.In 1980 he purchased a 4.5 hectare property in theSwan Valley, WA where he built his own home, studioand gallery. The Gomboc Gallery Sculpture Park,which is managed, curated and funded by Ron andhis wife, has been operating for 20 years, holdingannual sculpture exhibitions and surveysHe has been a practising artist for more than thirtyyears. His achievements have been recognisedand acknowledged through various awards, suchas the Swan Citizen of the Year Award in 1991, WAWeek Citizen of the Year for his contribution to Artand Culture in 1993, and the Centenary Medal for“Outstanding commitment to the community inraising the awareness of art”Exhibitions2008 Invited Artist Cottesloe Sculpture by the Sea2007 Solo Exhibition Paris France2006 UWS Acquisitive Sculpture Award andExhibition2005 Invited artist Beijing steel sculpturesymposium2004 Sculpture by the Sea Winner Icebergsignature prize2003 Goldman Sachs JB – Distinguished invitedArtistAwards2006 Landcom Acquisitive AwardPhotograph courtesy of Karen CastleRon has exhibited overseas in group and soloexhibitions.20

Clara HaliArtist StatementWhat will it take for us to appreciate the real value ofthis precious but limited resource?Artist BiographyClara Hali was born in Indonesia and studied artsat the University of Southern Queensland and theNational Art School, Sydney. Clara has travelledextensively throughout Asia and Europe, studyingthe sculpture of many different cultural traditions.One of the tours included a six-week residency at atribal foundry in a remote part of India.Her Sculpture is represented in Public and privatecollections.Clara has been a Lecturer in Sculpture at the NationalArt School for over 20 yearsExhibitionsClara has been exhibiting since 1980, some highlightsare:2007 Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi – Finalist2006 UWS Acquisitive Sculpture Award – Finalist2004 UWS Acquisitive Sculpture Award – FinalistMelbourne International Art FairSpectrum 2004 Parliament House, Sydney2002 Clara Hali & Elisabeth Cummings – OrangeRegional Art Gallery1995 Wynne Prize – Finalist, Art Gallery NSW2007 Clara presented at two International conferences:Sculpture in Public Spaces, AGWAPerth and CLAYEDgE, Gulgong NSW.Awards2007 NAB Distinguished Invited Artist Award (SXS)2005 3D Award of Walkom Manning Art PrizeScholarshipsResearch Scholarship (NAS)Staff Travelling Scholarship (NAS)Research Grant (UWS Macarthur)22

Coming to Water, 2008, Bronze, 55cm x 110cm x 55cm, Weight 150kgRepresented by Stella Downer Fine Art23

Cassandra Hard LawrieArtist StatementOrigins (5) is a further step in a series of sculpturesthat I have been making in the last two years, whichare representing the idea of a mammal or birdgrowing within and emerging from a sea shell motif.The sea shell is a frequent motif from the RenaissanceWunderkammer, (symbolising diversity) and the ideaof an inappropriate animal emerging from the seashell (sourced from Bachelard and Baltrusaitis texts)is a fantasy symbol that for me represents the hybridand its ability to transcend boundaries / barriers.Origins (5) is another piece in a series of sculpturesthat represent real animal remains morphed withfabricated forms representing sea shells. Origins(1) to (4) have been sculptures that are of a size nogreater than 650 millimetres in length / width. I have adesire to produce another piece in the Origins seriesthat is a size relative to the human scale and thatcan be installed into the landscape. This it to explorethe relationship of the Origins motif to the humanbody; and further its relationship to the naturalenvironment.Selected Exhibitions2007 Sculpture in the VineyardsWunderkammer (part of Western Front)at UWS GallerySculpture 19 at Robin Gibson Gallery2006 Sculpture in the VineyardsForestry SA Wood Sculpture Competition atRiddoch Art GallerySculpture 18 at Robin Gibson Gallery2005 Sculpted at Penrith Regional GalleryThe Museum of Other Things at LaperouseMuseumThe Museum of Enigmatic Objects at SCAGalleriesPhotograph courtesy of Mike McGhieArtist BiographyCassandra Hard Lawrie is a Sydney-based artist.She was born in New Zealand but has lived inAustralia most of her life. Cassandra’s studied FineArts at the Australian National University and shehas undertaken a Post-graduate course at SydneyCollege of the Arts.24

Origins (5), 2008, Timber, MDF, epoxy resin, pigment and found objects,150cm x 65cm x 50cm, Weight 45kgAdditional information about materials: The pig skull was found near thePalmer River, Cape York, Queensland in the 1960’s by an old gold prospector.25

Matthew HardingArtist StatementMy current work looks at how the growth patternsand structures of living organisms are influencing thearchitecture of nano science and the implication thistechnology has on our perception of who we are.From my earliest memories of sketching andobserving the details of ‘little’ things in life such asseedpods, plants and insects, I was led down theenchanted garden path of art and science as a wayof appreciating and making meaning of existence.Artist BiographyMatthew is highly experienced and diverse practisingvisual artist with over 20 years experience in publicand community arts projects responding to a widerange of briefs and specifications both here andaboard. He has a background in building which hasgiven him invaluable technical expertise in a numberof mediums, including traditional and industrial useof metal, wood, stone and glass. His work has beenand continues to be exhibited widely in Australia andin several countries overseas.I felt a strong parallel between a scientist workingaway in a lab and my childhood in the shed, bothplaying with the building blocks that shape and givemeaning to life.26

Nano, 2007, Stainless steel, 220cm x 220cm x 220cm, Weight 80-100kgRepresented by Australian Art Resources27

Nigel HarrisonArtist StatementThe heart in contemporary society has become amedical phenomena with heart disease being one ofthe biggest killers of human life. The heart is whereour emotional behavioural, intellectual and physicaldiscord meets. The desire to make this sculpturewas to confront my fear of mortality, exposed in thejuxtaposition between the beautiful and the ugly.Artist Biography2004 Sculpture Prize Finalist – McClelland GalleryVIC2004 UWS Acquisitive Sculpture Award andExhibition2003 National Sculpture Prize Finalist – NationalGallery of Australia Canberra2001 Winner of Sculpture by the Sea – SydneyWater Prize28

Life Turning 1 (one), 2007, Stainless steel, timber and water, 160cm x 240cm x 240cm, Weight 400kg29

Col HenryArtist StatementMy ‘Gossamer Series’ involves physically sketchingin space creating shadow sculptures, using‘Colcast and Prue Glass’, to create complex threedimensionalforms, a matrix that is formal, as well sconceptual, and always elegant. There is a rhythmthat is meditative and engaging, but the worksare not purely visual, they are also metaphors forimagination and creativity. Subtle variations in thepatterns suggest organic references and there is adefinite order, no matter how chaotic it may seem.Artist BiographyCol Henry has studied for many years in pursuit ofhis artistic endeavour, including related Degrees,Diplomas and countless Certificates and shortcourses. He has been collected in Australia andoverseas in many private collections. Over the past30 years he has been commissioned many timesto place sculpture and sculptural features in publicareas. The most recent is three large groups ofsculptures in a public park on the Gold Coast ofQueensland. He has conducted sculpture classesfor the last 20 years in his studio in Wyong Creek, inthe Yarramalong Valley NSW.Selected Group and Solo Exhibitions2007/08 Sculpture in the Vines, Hunter ValleyThursday Plantation, BallinaGosford Regional GalleryUniversity Western Sydney SculptureAward and ExhibitionGaleria Aneila, Kangaroo ValleyPaddington Contemporary GallerySculpture by the Lake, WallarahPeninsulaMaree Mizon GalleryWoolarah, Cookshill Gallery, NewcastleInvited Sculptor, Wyong Festival of ArtsLake Light Sculpture, JindabyneVerona Gallery, Hunter ValleyMontalto Sculpture PrizeSeveral Public Commissions and other Exhibitionsare currently being negotiated.He is also regularly involved in many forms of artisticendeavour, including helping community groups andmany of the local schools to achieve excellence in artand art awareness.30

Is it our turn yet?, 2008, Colcast and prue glass, galvanised rods, 200cm x 400cm x 600cm,Weight 100kg, comprised of 11 pieces31

Rudi JassArtist StatementThis piece gives some visual form to the notion ofthinking outside the square. It invites the observer toponder the global imperatives, which are demandingus to make uncomfortable choices. The implicationsof shifting outside of our collective and individualcomfort zones appear in this work as a collection ofstrong flowing forms. They entice us to take a leap ofimagination and let go of rigid forms and ideas thatmaintain our connections with old and destructivepatterns. The choice is not about certainty, it maynot feel safe, but this work says “make a choiceand embrace change”. Stay in the square, teeteringon the brink or shift into a new way of thinking andbeing, that will free us to move forward.Artist BiographyGerman born Rudi Jass, came to Australia in 1983.He lived in Canada and Papua New Guinea and hasbeen working as a full-time sculptor since 1990.His preferred medium to work with is stainless steeland corten steel, often in combination with stoneand glass.His work is represented in many private collections inAustralia, Japan, Singapore, UK and the US. Someof his corporate clients have been Emirates Airlines,Lend Lease and AV Jennings.Selected Exhibitions2007 The Mill Residences Sculpture PrizeMt Buller Sculpture ExhibitionAssociation of Sculptors of VictoriaMontalto Sculptors Association2006 Contemporary Sculptors AssociationCloudehillToorak Village Sculpture Exhibition2005 Yerring Station Outdoor Sculpture ExhibitionThursday Plantation Sculpture ExhibitionToorak Village Sculpture ExhibitionAssociation of Sculptors of VictoriaMontalto Sculptors AssociationAwards2007 The Mill Residences Sculpture Prize1st PrizeAssociation of Sculptors of Victoria atMIFGS, Highly Commended2006 Contemporary Sculptors Association, DameElizabeth Murdoch Award2005 Thursday Plantation Sculpture Exhibition,Highly CommendedAssociation of Sculptors of Victoria atMIFGS, Highly CommendedRudi is a member of the Association of Sculpturesof Victoria, Contemporary Sculptors Association andKinetic Art Organisation.32

Think outside the square, 2008, Stainless steel and corten steel, 240cm x 140cm x 60cm, Weight 120kgRepresented by Australian Art Resources33

Akira KamadaArtist Statement“Beginning of Society.”Artist BiographyBorn in Japan.Sculptor and landscaper who arrived in Australiain 1987.Studies include Photography, Painting, Ceramicsand Sculpture.Selected ExhibitionsAkira has exhibited in Tokyo and Sydney in both soloand group exhibitions, a selection of these are:2007 Sculpture by the SeaWilloughby Art PrizeThursday Plantation East Coast SculptureShow2006 Sculpture by the SeaUWS Acquisitive Sculpture Award &Exhibition6 Miniature Sculpture Show – DefianceGallery2005 Art of Flower and Art and About –Government HouseThursday Plantation East Coast SculptureShow2004 Highly commended Thursday Island EastCoast sculpture show2003 Design and construction of display gardensin conjunction with the ‘Seasons’ exhibitionAGNSW34

Three, 2008, Timber, metal and paint, 70cm x 250cm x 280cm, Weight 300kg35

Phyllis KoshlandArtist Statement‘Launch’ is about the cooperative spirit of people.Joy and sacrifice both go into building this pyramid.Both though are entwined and necessary in theeffort to reach the top.Artist BiographyA sculptor since 1972, Phyllis is interested in bodylanguage – movement, emotion and anatomy.Abstracting the essential building blocks of the figure,she builds sculptures that portray and emphasize allthe qualities of human life.Solo Exhibitions2006 “Cuts & Folds,” The Depot Gallery, Waterloo,NSW, Australia2004 “Rage & Blues,” The Depot Gallery, Waterloo,NSW, AustraliaSelected Group Exhibitions2006 “Sculpture by the Sea”, Bondi Beach2004 “Sculpture by the Sea”, Bondi BeachBrenda May Gallery“Sculpture at the MLC”, Sydney“Sculpture by the Sea”, Bondi BeachRepresented in collections in:Australia: University of NSW, News Ltd, privatecollectionsJapan: institutional collections, HorokojiAssociationUSA: private collections, institutionalcollectionsEurope: private collections36

Launch, 2007, Laser cut mild steel, 240cm x 495cm x 75cm, Weight 400kg37

Des McKennaArtist StatementMy life time love of nature shows in the sculpturesI produce.Goannas have a special place in outback Australiaand are very important in Koori folklore and culture.They are free roaming creatures – always alert –and capable of running on their hind legs at greatspeed.When threatened they will run to the nearest treewhich they can climb in seconds with their sharpclaws.With this sculpture I have attempted to capture thesecharacteristics in a manner to enable the viewer torelate to this wild and magnificent creatureArtist BiographyDes McKenna and his wife Carmel live in Malmsburyin central Victoria. Des was awarded the OAM in1992 for services to the community.Sculpting since 1986, Des’s works capture theessence and rhythm of Australian wildlife. Hissculptures are in great demand throughout Australiaand world-wide.He has major public artworks in Melbourne’sMuseum, City Square, and Koori Cultural Centre aswell as the City of Whittlesea.All his sculptures are designed to be interactive withviewers who are encouraged to touch and becomeinvolved with them. He also produces religiousartwork for schools and churches.Commissions2006 Melbourne City Council gifted twosculptures to Tianjin, China2007 St John Bosco statue Niddrie Vic.Wombat Family Whittlesea City Council38

“Gertie” the Goanna, 2008, River red gum, Du Pont “Corian” and rubber, 170cm x 50cm x 40cm, Weight 120kg39

Campbell Robertson-SwannArtist StatementI usually work with a strong architectural componentin my sculpture. However this work is influenced bySid Nolan’s ‘Ned Kelly’ in the landscape. The blackarmour framed by and framing the Australian bush.Artist BiographyCampbell is a campaigner for the recognition ofsculpture as a mainstream visual art form.2003– 2008 Curator Seymour TheatreSydney University1999 Art OMI Residency, NY, USA1998 Winner ‘Sydney Water Prize’– Sculpture by the Sea1995 Established Defiance Gallery40

The Bush Ranger, 2008, Stainless steel, mild steel, 220cm x 220cm x 70cm, Weight 200kgRepresented by Defiance Gallery41

Michael SibelArtist StatementThis work is based on images of carousels andfairgrounds and is inspired by the wheel as ametaphor for life. The work starts from the image ofa wheel as an amusement ride and shows the ridersat different stages of their journey on that wheel.Sited in a park setting evokes memories of comingto a fairground and experiencing such a ride. In thiscase though, the ride is more than a three minutethrill. It is a larger symbol of a never-ending journey.Artist BiographyMichael Sibel has been making and exhibitingsculpture for the past fifteen years. In early 2007Michael became a resident artist of Gasworks ArtsPark. He is currently producing sculpture there andis involved in community projects and education.His solo exhibitions include FoldOut, fortyfivedownstairs,New Sculpture, Australian Art Resources, LostBody, Yarra Sculpture Space, New Work, DickersonGallery, Nothingness to Whole, Span Galleries, A Bellis a Cup, Lyall Burton Gallery, Floating Form, LyallBurton Gallery.He has also exhibited widely in group exhibitionsand represented in various public and privatecollections.42

Carousel, 2008, Bronze, timber, stainless and mild steel, 280cm x 350cm x 180 cm, Weight 250kgRepresented by Australian Art Resources43

Michael SnapeArtist StatementA word can pose in relation to a material, a weight, arelative position. The material, weight and shape alsochanges in relation to the world. In an open – endeddialogue, a sense or sensation emerges.Artist BiographyMichael was born in 1951 and studied at National ArtSchool 1971–1972. He has been a practising artistfor 30 years which includes many solo shows andpublic and private commissions.CommissionsMeriton Tower designed Harry Siedler ‘RunningWriting V’Darebin City Council, Preston Town Hall “TheConnection”44

Besides, 2007, Painted steel, 237cm x 170cm x 140cm, Weight 800kgRepresented by Australian Galleries45

Amanda StuartArtist StatementMy intention as an artist is to explore the tensionsthat arise when domestic and wild animal andhuman communities co-habit a terrain - specificallywithin the contemporary Australian landscape andpsyche – and to address what questions arise aboutcultural identity.The wild dog is an invasive, hybrid animal directlyresulting from human modification of the environment,and to date the only known hybrid mammal, resultingfrom native and domestic mating.Mongrel Country (Nil Tenure) is comprised of 13 lifescale hybrid wild dogs made from a matrix of foundand cast materials in a configuration that representsboth familiar (domestic) and wild candid behaviourpatterns.The work interacts with the physical and psychologicalboundaries of the viewer.Artist BiographyPreviously a ranger with the NSW National Parksand Wildlife Service, her interest in form and humanrelations with the natural environment directlyinformed her studies at the ANU School of Art(Sculpture Workshop).Since graduating with a Bachelor of Visual Arts(1st class honours) in 2000, she has exhibited workin ACT & NSW.Amanda has been employed as a Lecturer, Cocoordinatorand Tutor Demonstrator at the School ofArt ANU since 2004, as well as an Art-Educator forthe National Gallery Australia since 2000.Presently a candidate for PhD in Visual Arts.Exhibitions2008 Sculpture on the Edge, Bermagui, NSW2008 In the Fold, ANCA, Dickson, ACT2007 Best in Show, CCAS Manuka ACT2006 Sculpture by the LakeSculpture Southern HighlandsFloriade, ACTArtisans in the Gardens – RBG Sydney2004 Sculpture by the Sea2001 Sculpture by the Sea46

Mongrel Country (Nil Tenure), 2007/08, Steel, found object associated with farms (fencing, bones and scrapmetal) and cast elements, textiles, bitumen, 80cm x 150cm x 30cm, Weight 4kg, comprised of 13 pieces47

Marcus TattonArtist StatementFor millennia artists have coded stories thatfuture civilisations attempt to decipher. Cuneiformmarkings in stone tablets, calligraphic quill strokeson parchment, pictograms in the earth – and todaywe have digital photons of energy coursing throughconcrete, glass and our own bodies at the speed oflight. . . .Zeros and ones are transmitted in encryptedcombinations – to be unravelled in nano seconds byreceiving devices thousands of kilometres away.Unanswered messages course through the universe,coded. Where do they end up? These electromagneticramblings may never be deciphered; but we can besure that we are being surrounded by digital litter.Artist BiographyMarcus has worked full time as a sculptor of publicart projects for the last 10 years from Tasmania.He trained in furniture design graduating in 1989and began making hand drums for musiciansaround Australia. Developing techniques for carvedsculpture, residences in Philadelphia and RhodeIsland School of Design have further developedMarcus’s contemporary practice.Solo Exhibitions2008 ‘Fiscal Bloom’, Royal Tasmanian BotanicalGardens, Tasmania.2006 ‘The Wreakage Principle’, Cast Gallery,Tasmania.2004 ‘Dissatisfied Electrons’, Neika Studio,Tasmania.Selected Group Exhibitions2008 Montalto Sculpture AwardsUniversity of Western Sydney SculptureAwardsEphemeral Art at the Invisible Lodge,Freycinet, Tasmania.2007 Helen Lempriere National SculptureAward FinalistSculpture by the Sea, Bondi Beach. Sydney2006 Helen Lempriere National Awards FinalistSculpture by the Sea, Bondi Beach2005 Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi Beach,November Connections: InternationalTurning Exchange 1995 – 2005. Philadelphia2004 Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi Beach,NovemberAlTURNatives; Form and Spirit, Philadelphia,August48

Digital Litter, 2008, Steel, welded and naturally weathered, 180cm x 5000cm x 5000cm, Weight 1200kg49

Charlie TriversArtist StatementDynamic Supermarketism Animadversions is thejuxtaposition of two dichotomous variations ofsculptural abstractions. In a contrast of sculpturallanguage geometric abstractions interacts withorganic abstraction in search of simultaneous andinterconnected social, ecological and sculpturalnarratives.The geometric abstraction is called a DynamicSupermarketism and its narrative is concernedwith the issues involving consumerism and one lifepackaging. The organic abstraction is a narrativeof metaphor concerning the natural world underclimate change pressure. Dynamic SupermarketismAnimadversions are compositions of contradictionwhere geometric and organic abstractions both strivefor order in built and natural environments which arein chaotic states.Artist BiographyCharlie is currently studying a Master of Fine Arts(Research), Sculpture at the University of New SouthWales (COFA).Exhibitions2008 Defiance Gallery2007 Sculpture 2007, Defiance GallerySculpture by the Sea, Bondi NSWSwell Sculpture Festival, Currumbin QLDSculpture in the Vineyards10th Kajima Sculpture Competition, TokyoJapan2006 UWS Acquisitive Sculpture Award ExhibitionSculpture by the Sea, Bondi NSWSwell Sculpture Festival, Gold Coast QLDMoreland Sculpture Show, Melbourne VICSculpture in the Vineyards11th Annual Miniature Sculpture Exhibition,Defiance Gallery2005 Toyamura International Sculpture Biennale,Hokkaido JapanWoollahra Small Sculpture Prize ExhibitionSwell Sculpture Festival, Gold Coast QLD2004 Sculpture by the Sea / Sculpture InsideSculpture 2004 Global Gallery Paddington,SydneyAhh! TAFE Staff Exhibition, Wagga WaggaArt Gallery50

Dynamic Supermarketism Animadversion Composition Number 2, 2008, Painted Steel,250cm x 180cm x 180cm, Weight 300kg51

Tim WetherellArtist StatementAt an artistic level what fascinates me aboutscience is not so much the technology itself but thephilosophical basis for scientific thought. Scientificreasoning is fundamentally different to the subjective,emotional thinking that is inherent to us all as humanbeings. By divorcing itself from such factors, sciencehas evolved into a powerful tool for understandingthe universe. However such objectivity often leavesscience isolated from the most meaningful of ourexperiences as human beings, which are by theirvery nature, emotional and subjective. This is where Ibelieve art has a vital role to play, reflecting scientificissues through the distorted lens of an artist’s ownhumanity. Much of my work explores science andtechnology at the boundary between fact andperception with special reference to the manydifferent views that often exist.Artist BiographyTim was born near Bradford, North England andcompleted a PhD in condensed matter physics at theUniversity of St Andrews. His art is largely informedby this mixture of growing up in a hard post-industriallandscape and his later scientific studies.Tim completed a Graduate Diploma in Sculpturewith Distinction at the Australian National Universityin 2003.Selected Exhibitions2007 McClelland Sculpture Survey and Award2006 Casuarina Sculpture Show – KingscliffeNSW (Winner of $20,000.00 award, workpermanently installed on the Sculpture Walk)2004 Sculpture by the Sea2003 National Sculpture Prize and Exhibition –National Gallery of Australia52

Transit of Venus, 2008, Steel and brass, 185cm x 70cm x 80cm, Weight 70kg53

2006 UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN SYDNEYACQUISITIVE SCULPTURE AWARD – WINNERGrant Calvin, Solar Chronograph II, 2006, Painted steel, 450cm x 360cm x 230cmPhotograph Sally Tsoutas, courtesy of UWS. Image reproduced courtesy of artist.54

2006 LANDCOM ACQUISITIVESCULPTURE AWARD – WINNERRon Gomboc, Freedom, 2004, Stainless steel, copper and bronze, 260cm x 100cm x 120cmPhotograph Sally Tsoutas. Image reproduced courtesy of artist.55

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe University would like to thank the following:The initial selection committee for curatorialdirectionMr Michael Le GrandMs Monica McMahonMr John SorbyThe judges, who played a vital and voluntaryroleMr Michael Le GrandProfessor Janice ReidMr John SorbyThe exhibition project teamMs Talia FryMs Rosemary HopkinsMs Monica McMahonMr Benjamin RoweDr Denis WhitfieldMs Juliet Wight-BoycottMr Richard WemyssMichael Hedger, for researching and writing thecatalogue essay.Robyn Ryan, for researching and creating theeducation resource kit for schools.The Provost of Campbelltown CampusThe former Provost Associate Professor GodfreyIsouard and the current Provost Professor AnneCusick who generously supported and funded thisexhibition.The University of Western Sydney StudentAssociation, particularly Rasha Mousawi (UWSSAPresident) and Arthur Bozikas ( Executive Officer),who generously supported the high schooleducation programs.The Office of University Engagement, especiallyLouise Eljiz and Kim Leevers.The University of Western Sydney Art Promotionand Collection Advisory Committee.And special thanks to all participating artists inthis exhibition.Publisher:University of Western SydneyUWS Art CollectionLocked Bag 1797Penrith South DC NSW 1797Ph: (02) 4620 3450Fax: (02) 4620 3559Visit: www.uws.edu.auCatalogue Editor: Monica McMahonCatalogue Design: Maureen GohPhotography: All works reproducedcourtesy of the artist andtheir representative galleries.ISBN: 978-1-74108-165-756

PROUDLY SPONSORED BYUWS Students’ Association57

For further information visit the University’s website at www.uws.edu.au or contact:Monica McMahonTel: (61-2) 4620 3450Fax: (61-2) 4620 3559Email: monica.mcmahon@uws.edu.au578UWS0308MG