LIFESTYLE

SCULPTING THE NATURAL AND URBAN LANDSCAPE.

MEANDER AMONG MAGNIFICENT SCULPTURES AT NORTHSHORE’S LARGE-SCALE OUTDOOR ART EXHIBITION.

The beautiful Brisbane River takes on added appeal when dozens of Queensland artists use the river’s reach as their canvas in a large-scale sculpture exhibition.

Northshore Sculpture by the River is a free, two-month public art event with 26 outdoor works dotting the riverbank and another 45 smaller pieces exhibited indoors.

The inaugural exhibition by Sculptors Queensland runs from 3 October to 6 December and features pieces by local artists that reflect the rich cultural history of Northshore: from Indigenous and migrant-inspired pieces to the environment and the river’s history.

Large outdoor sculptures will trail along the beautiful scenery of Northshore’s riverbank while a collection of indoor sculptures will be exhibited at the Hamilton Reach Sales & Display Centre until 6 December, all of which are available for purchase.

Hamilton’s Northshore precinct has evolved from its origins as natural swampland that was home to Indigenous people, to prominent working wharves during the 1920s and ‘30s and now to a vibrant and evolving multicultural community, bustling with businesses and apartment dwellers.

To commemorate the beauty of the land and its history, an array of multifaceted and notable Queensland sculptors will showcase some of their most iconic pieces of work.

Free guided tours of the exhibition will take place across the two-month Northshore Sculpture by the River event with details available at sculptorsqld.org.au.

Contributing artist Peter Steller says: “This exhibition is unique as artists have come together to interpret the history and cultures of the people of this section of the Brisbane River, the fauna and flora of the past and present.”

A sculptor who mixes traditional and contemporary artistic styles, Peter feels deeply connected to his timber sculpture, The Hunter, made from Moreton Bay Fig and influenced by coastal Indigenous communities.

“I was inspired by the local osprey I see each day soaring over the Bay. I discovered that coastal Aboriginals learned the best time to catch mullet was by watching the sea eagles which waited for the leading mullet in the schools to pass.”

Additionally, Peter’s elegant Wings of Dreams is inspired by the story and music of Jonathon Livingstone Seagull, as well as the joy he experiences when watching the aerobatic skills of local seabirds.

“I have interpreted their swift movements by making the sculpture kinetic, in that it moves with the wind,” he explains.

Northshore Sculpture by the River is organised by Sculptors Queensland and funded by Economic Development Queensland and Brisbane Marketing.

Brisbane artist Jaco Roeloffs’ eye-catching Superegg is covered in multicoloured single-use coffee pods to symbolise human convenience and its impact on our natural environment. The sculpture has a powerful internal light source that creates far-reaching lines across the water and land. Peep through Birgit Grapentin’s The Reflection, foregrounding the fascination of telescopes as an essential navigational aid. The interactive artwork is designed to engage all ages with its “teleidoscope” feature that displays a 360-degree view of kaleidoscopic imagery.

The giant Helidon Freestone crab of Fringe Dweller by Antone Bruinsma symbolises one of the river’s local creatures and the interface of human habitat in a transient natural environment.

BY THE NUMBERS:

3 October–6 December

35 artists involved

26 outdoor sculptures

45 indoor sculptures

$120–$30,000 price range of sculptures for sale

Artist talks and tours: details at sculptorsqld.org.au

Northshore Sculpture by the River outdoor exhibition runs from 3 October to 6 December. The Hamilton Reach Sales & Display Centre at 310 MacArthur Avenue will house indoor sculptures from 12 October to 6 December, open daily 10am to 5pm.