Photos from Sculpture by the Sea 2006 (part 1)
November 16th 2006 03:40
Sculpture by the sea 2006
So, if you don't know of it, it's in Sydney, it's a two-week exhibition, and it's a two-kilometre walk -- from Bondi Beach to Tamarama. There are 108 sculptures by artists from 15 countries. And you've got till Sunday 19 November to go see it.
Bring a hat and sunscreen, and expect crowds.
I went twice this week, and fewer sculptures were there the second time (perhaps the missing ones were damaged or sold; and perhaps the shoreside ones were removed for fear of the tide).
More info (and an MP3 audio tour) at the official website.
Note: This post is part 1 of 2. For part 2 click here.
For the 2007 exhibition: part 1; part 2.
The main thing I was thinking about was fit of sculpture to landscape.
For the audience, it's quite strange to walk outdoors, amidst sculpture, in an contemplative mood -- makes you look at the world differently.
For the artist, this is quite an opportunity to display your work -- the meanings of it enhanced by the setting (light, air, wind, sun, rock, ocean), and by the journey (for instance, the effect of walking for a while then coming upon a sculpture unexpectedly).
But here is a dilemma: if you don't build it to take advantage of the specific environment, you lose impact you might have had; but if you do build for the environment, you lose generality, with potentially less impact in non-Sculpture by the Sea contexts.
Here's a small selection of the 108 (click on the images to expand them).
Seaside theme/stuff you'd expect to see by the sea
Eg: giant anemone.
Other such stuff included a bum's/artist's house built into the landscape and a solitary fishing rod standing tall...
Rusty crap. If it didn't have a number next to it, you wouldn't know it was art.
Bugs.
Red shrubbery hiding in the shrubbery.
For some reason, a big crowd pleaser -- a melted ice-cream truck.
Unexpected variations of landscape
Things that made you look at the landscape in a new way.
For instance: hands holding hands/balls/snake heads in the crevices of rocks.
Or the dotted line of a street dividing line painted along the base of the cliff, or a ticket machine next to a park bench that charged for sitting.
A graceful nymph, nestled into the trees.
Example of warning tapes and barriers that were randomly scattered throughout the exhibition, ambiguous as to what they were surrounding.
A resting angel?
A big candle.
Why shouldn't there be big legs on the beach?
Or in the park.
Little guys like this were set up, in various poses, all along a stream that ran up the side of a hill.
Makes one wonder why the everyday landscape isn't decorated more frequently.
A guy with a net, who looks like he's jerking off.
Sunbaking on a rock.
Little rock men, built out of layers, with little erect penises. I wanted there to be hundreds of them dotting the rocks, but it turned out there were only ten.
When you look at them, there's a weird compression effect, as if the world were film. The movie's letterbox is squashed; the aspect ratio is fucked.
Click here for part 2 of the 2006 exhibition.
Untitled by Amy Podmore
Bring a hat and sunscreen, and expect crowds.
I went twice this week, and fewer sculptures were there the second time (perhaps the missing ones were damaged or sold; and perhaps the shoreside ones were removed for fear of the tide).
More info (and an MP3 audio tour) at the official website.
Note: This post is part 1 of 2. For part 2 click here.
For the 2007 exhibition: part 1; part 2.
***
The main thing I was thinking about was fit of sculpture to landscape.
For the audience, it's quite strange to walk outdoors, amidst sculpture, in an contemplative mood -- makes you look at the world differently.
For the artist, this is quite an opportunity to display your work -- the meanings of it enhanced by the setting (light, air, wind, sun, rock, ocean), and by the journey (for instance, the effect of walking for a while then coming upon a sculpture unexpectedly).
But here is a dilemma: if you don't build it to take advantage of the specific environment, you lose impact you might have had; but if you do build for the environment, you lose generality, with potentially less impact in non-Sculpture by the Sea contexts.
Here's a small selection of the 108 (click on the images to expand them).
***
Big mamma and the kittens by Margarita Sampson
Eg: giant anemone.
Other such stuff included a bum's/artist's house built into the landscape and a solitary fishing rod standing tall...
Unknown
Darwindogs by Tabitha Burke and Matthew Clugston
Iomandra longifolia - red by Melissa Hirsch
Hot with a chance of a late storm by The Glue Society
Unknown
Things that made you look at the landscape in a new way.
For instance: hands holding hands/balls/snake heads in the crevices of rocks.
Or the dotted line of a street dividing line painted along the base of the cliff, or a ticket machine next to a park bench that charged for sitting.
Skipping Girl by Phyllis Koshland
Free art! before art frees you by Richard Tipping
Unknown
Cloud in the sky by Koichi Ishino
Unknown
Lover by Lin Liang-Tsai
The Grotto by Nicole Grech
Banksia refusiphila by Catherine Higham
Fisher by Hugh Ramage
Sea monsters by Ian Swift
Layers and then there's layers by Richie Kuhaupt
When you look at them, there's a weird compression effect, as if the world were film. The movie's letterbox is squashed; the aspect ratio is fucked.
***
Click here for part 2 of the 2006 exhibition.
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Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
Good one, I liked it, it's thoroughly enjoyable.
katyzzz
Comment by Adrian
Philosophy Blog
I should mention: Ag has also written a post on this topic.
She includes a photo that I was trying to take, but couldn't (not enough light -- camera refused).
You can see it in the distance, on the right hand side, in this shot -- a huge cyclone (click on the photo to expand):
Click here for Ag's close up of the sculpture.
Comment by Adrienne
http://www.celebrityfox.com/renee-zellweger-on-her-marriage/
LOL!
Comment by Cibbuano
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
A special thanks for those of us who can't get there.... great pictures...
Some fantastic memories too... I used to take that walk often...many moons ago...
Totally enjoyable... thanks
Lilla...
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
If you're going to expose your work to the elements (esp at the beach, which tends to be windy) they need to be very durable as well.
Comment by Anonymous
Best way to contact me is by email: ivy_chung@mcgraw-hill.com