THE BYRON SHIRE ECHO Advertising & news enquiries: Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 Fax 02 6684 1719 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au http://www.echo.net.au VOLUME 20 #06 TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 2005 22,300 copies every week $1 at newsagents only
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A L P H A B E T
Art escapes at the Cape Michael McDonald ‘Whatever you can get away with!’ was sculptor Rick Reynolds’s definition of art in the artsCape catalogue. His words inspired special guest Andrew Denton to describe the Cape Byron headland sculpture exhibition as artists ‘getting away with so much in a such a remarkable place’. Mr Denton later elaborated on the theme: ‘This is art that’s escaped – it’s out of the galleries and in the world.’ He was speaking last Sunday at the opening of the exhibition which alternately stands bold, hides and insinuates itself around the Cape,
one of the most beautiful outdoor settings in the world. His words followed on from a welcome to Country by Arakwal representative Yvonne Stewart, and Nigel Stewart singing a song to the creator and playing didge, both of which emphasised ‘we’re still here and we’ve still got our culture’. Mr Denton confessed that getting him to talk on art was ‘like asking Shane Warne to lecture on romance’. He praised Merran Morrison and Rebecca Townsend, suggesting they had built the helicopters which delivered Andy Scott’s massive sculpture ‘in their own living room out of spare materials’.
From left, Andrew Denton, art judge Kevin Wilson, artist Rick Reynolds, and art judge Robert Bleakley with Rick’s winning work ‘Living in Sunrise Station’. Photo Jeff ‘Spear Head’ Dawson
S O U P
Byron’s Archibald alternative
‘John and Jeanette Howard are hardly the Medicis of Florence,’ said Mr Denton. ‘We can feel the cold hard birch of economic rationalism on our pale white artistic flesh. It’s a time when they tax your daydreams and the steam rising off your urine. So I’m pleased to say artsCape, in John Howard’s words, is world’s best practice sculpture.’ Mr Denton said he knew the sculpture was good because his 11 year old son was excited by it. ‘If art speaks to the kids, it speaks to the kids in us.’ The only sculpture Mr Denton admitted to not liking was ‘that giant white thing with the light in it spinning around. It’s so obvious!’ The sculpture of a whale carcass at Little Watego’s, however, led Mr Denton to recall ‘just how essentially yummy whales are to eat’. Judges Kevin Wilson, director of the Noosa regional gallery, and Robert Bleakley, former chairman of Sotheby’s, then announced the winners. Rick Reynolds took first prize with ‘Living in Sunrise Station’, an installation of hardwood and steel spears which Mr Denton alleged commentator Caroline Baum had described as ‘an echidna after a hangglider crash’. Mr Reynolds thanked the Bundjalung people for the opportunity to work on the site. His artist’s statement defined Nature as ‘eat and be eaten in the garden of Eden’ and Byron as ‘the pointy end of the Golden Triangle’. Second prize went to Melissa Hirsch of Byron Bay for ‘Lomandra Longifolia
The Byron Bay High School’s annual ‘Bald Archie’ competition is an opportunity for 50 Year 10 visual arts students to experience something similar, okay vaguely similar, to that other famous portrait competition the Archibald Prize. The winner of the People’s Choice award for her rather pixie eared self portrait was Lee Moloney, pictured right, and Highly Commended went to Molly Armstrong, left. Photo Jeff ‘Pixie Eyed’ Dawson
Costa plans tollway for coastal Byron Shire
The creation of a motorway or possible tollway is the reason behind the expansion of the Pacific Highway study area to the east between Tintenbar and Ewingsdale, say Ian Cohen and Jan Barham. Last week Greens MLC Ian Cohen and Byron Shire Mayor Jan Barham met with the State Minister for Roads, Michael Costa to discuss the Pacific Highway Upgrade project. ‘After repeated questioning from the Mayor as to reasons for the expanded study area and any flaws with the existing corridor, the Minister made it clear that the project is to identify additional road possibilities, not just upgrade the existing highway route but to provide a motorway option,’ said Ian Cohen. When contacted by The Echo, Michael Costa’s office denied that this was the continued on page 2 case.
‘The option of moving freight onto the New England road was raised with the Minister but did not receive a positive response. It was clear that this is not a consideration, the government appears to be focused on B doubles and larger freight vehicles remaining in the coastal zone. ‘Once again Minister Costa refused to visit the north coast to meet with local residents and hear their concerns first hand. His grand plan for motorways was chilling listening and will no doubt earn the Minister the reputation of Costalot,’ he added. ‘His response to concerns about safety issues is that money can fix anything. It is public money funding the building of roads for the private freight industry.’ As local MP Don Page has repeatedly pointed out, the
state government does not currently have the funds to upgrade the highway between Ewingsdale and Tintenbar, yet according to Ian Cohen Mr Costa’s vision for the area includes an upgraded Pacific Highway for local traffic and a coastal route for interstate traffic and trucking use. Back in March the state and federal governments announced they were considering a toll charge on the Pacific Highway as a method of fast tracking funding for the upgrade of the road from Hexham to the Queensland border. At the time NSW Premier Bob Carr said tolls should target trucking companies and not local users. Ian Cohen MLC has written to Bob Carr informing him of the situation and the manner in which he says the continued on page 2
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