the dandi lion (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

These kids were having a great time playing amongst this sculpture by William Eastlake of the Australian Capital Territory. It's made of bamboo, sisal rope and organic cotton.

Eastlake says: "While exploring the influence of material and its inherent structural qualities in the creation of space, we manipulate the experience and interpretation of the viewer."

The work rotates and the kids loved pushing it, climbing under it and running through.

where is the freedom? (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

This work is by an Iranian artist, Mona Aghababaee. She saus : "Inspired by Ancient persian culture, the symbols are used in a new context and are connected with the social, political and cultural conditions in Iran."

There is quite a story behind this sculpture. It won the $5000 prize for young sculptors, but in an ironic twist on the theme of the work - freedom - the Australian embassy in Tehran denied her a visa to come to Australia to collect her prize and see it displayed.

She had "lots of problems" exhibiting her art in Iran, she said, and entered Sculpture by the Sea after finding information about it on the internet. She had to borrow money to pay for the transportation of her work to Australia.

The cypress tree once symbolised freedom in Iran, but today ''its symbolism is simply denied'', Ms Aghababaee said. ''We live in a country that hasn't any freedom.''

Read the full story here.

little boy lost (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

Paul Trefry's lifelike sculpture is made from silicon, fibreglass and human hair. He says it is "made from the heart, without pressure from other parties."

At first the local council, Waverley, decided the piece had to don a pair of swimmers, but artist Trefry took them off.

He said he "had felt so uncomfortable with a Waverley Council ruling that his sculpture had to be clothed that he rose at 7.30am and made the short trip from his Bondi home to return the piece to its intended naked form.

''Basically, I've had enough of censorship, about how the Government are basically stopping everyone from doing anything,'' he said.

''If Sculpture by the Sea want me to remove it, I will. If they are going to do something so petty, I would rather not be in the exhibition.''

But Sculpture by the Sea founder David Handley said the piece would remain. ''We think it is pretty funny and guessed they'd probably reappear on eBay,'' he said of the missing swimmers. ''Then we found out the artist took them off himself, and thought, 'Why not?' Now, if people wish, they can see him in all his glory.''

Full story : Sydney Morning Herald.

a crab in the works (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

Gordon Mitchell says : "Transforming an everyday object into that of monumental scale. Evoking memories of losing a valuable watch at the beach or the discovery of a treasure!"

dying for a drink (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

This work by Phill Hall is made of wire mesh, recycled water bottles, glass, plywood riot shields.

Hall says "Traveling sculpture designed to raise awareness of the critical global water shortage and to stimulate positive actions and solutions."

brain child 611 (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

I really love this "mathematical sculpture" because it brings back my childhood! Cuisenaire rods. Named after their inventor, Belgian primary school teacher, Georges Cuisenaire.

Lucy Barker, the sculptor says: "Oversized counting blocks from the early 1960s appear fresh from their box. Hardly touched, they represent the enormous potential of a child's mind."

I still have a box of my own, from the early to mid 1960s. We used them at school and I played with them at home. I still remember the colours: 1= white, 2= red, 3= light green, 4= pink, 5= yellow, 6= dark green, 7= black, 8= brown, 9= dark blue, 10= orange.

Dis you have anything similar at school to help learn maths?

subterfuge (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

Suzie Bleach and Andy Townsend have made this "Trojan horse" of steel and salvaged objects.

They say: "A place of retreat or concealment; a refuge; a hoax; a fakery; an elaborate deception; a swindling device: a means to an end."

to be or not to be (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

Keld Moseholm from Denmark has exhibited numerous times in Sculpture By The Sea.

dream home (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

Dream home by Jane Gillings won the Kids Choice Award at this year's exhibition.

"A firm favourite from the start, Dream Home was constantly played with by children throughout the exhibition who were attracted by the playful small house covered in children's toys made as a response to the consumerism and consumption in our society which starts from a very young age.

"What I love about the piece is that it brings out the kid in everyone and I probably had more fun making it, than the thousands of kids had playing in the piece during the exhibit. Winning this prize is a great reward for a lot of hard work," said artist Jane Gillings.

It has a bright, colourful exterior, but the mood gets much more serious inside, with black walls and scary-looking dolls.

Gillings says the contrasting elements were inspired by the idea that the global financial crisis was sparked by people being encouraged to live beyond their means.

recession (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

Michael Lipman made this from steel and plastic.

"A statement of the times. The world recession has caused the 'domino effect' in many areas, all of which affect our lives."

prelude to the waves (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

Fatih Semiz of Victoria is responsible for one of my favourite pieces from this year's exhibition.

It reminds me of that old party game of tearing a waxy sweet paper (Minties!) into a single long strip.

It's made not of waxy paper, but powder coated steel. The artists says: " Evolving independently from a pentagon, the modules reconstruct themselves using simple rules to create a piece that brings may complex forms to mind."

arte de las playas (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

This display, made from aluminium pipe, rope and fabric is by Alejandro Propato from Argentina.

"In this work nature is very important. The wind, like an artist, makes an intense and beautiful art experience."

Fortunately it was a windy day when I saw these gorgeous flags.

That's Bondi Beach in the background.

ezra's ounce (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

This intriguing work by Orest Keywan is made of steel and polymer.

The art critic in The Australian, said:

"Orest Keywan's Ezra's Ounce seems to be a meditation on the predicament of his artform: at the foot of what appears to be the wreck of a classic modernist steel sculpture lies a massive face, like part of a colossal ancient statue. One thinks of T. S. Eliot's line at the end of The Waste Land: "These fragments I have shored against my ruin."

big drink (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

Justin Drape and Simone Brandse are the makers of this steel, pvc tubing, nylon andacrylic in-sea work.

They say: "Australia is an island surrounded by water yet we never have enough of it to drink. The sculpture highlights this irony, bringing to mind the desalination debate."

rising tension III (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

These "ropes" are made of corrugated cardboard discs!

Artist Tracy Luff says: "Before we can undo a knot, we must first loosen it to understand its structure; pulling in it only makes it tighter."

sanctuary (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

Sculptor, Serena Horton says: "Who can fail to be delighted by the discovery of a nest. A place of new life, comfort, security and potential."

It's made of high-fired porcelain and plaster and is 40cm x 100cm x 100cm.

signs of 2009 (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

Sydney based artists, Giuliana de Felice says "Based on familiar signage, these sculptures play with what we expect to see as part of the known visual landscape."

Made of timber, steel, paint finish.

tribute to a workhorse (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

I came across this fellow last year - see here. He seems to pose himself in front of a sculpture and take a self-portrait. This mornign I waited around and watched as he set up his shot:





and waited around while he changed from his costume...



and finally walked off...



Oh, and here's the bit about the sculpture!

tribute to a workhorse is by Belinda Villani. It's made of woven rattan and steel, is 250cm x 90cm x 250cm. Villani says "My father's love of horses stemmed from his migrant inner city childhood contact with the local workhorses rather than the romantic idea of the outback horse and rider."

the eight (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

These two pics show the difference half an hour can make! The top one wa staken in the first light of sunrise at 5:56am, the bottom one (not such a well composed pic!) at 6:30 am.

the eight is by Stephen King. His work is made from fallen timber from his farm in northern NSW. This huge piece (390cm x 400cm x 1300cm) is made from stringybark, a native Australian eucalypt.

He says: "Inspired by the time his three daughters were rowing. It describes the moment when the boat is held aloft just before the stroke-side and bow-side rowers part to shoulder the boat."

chaos and order (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

Artist Barbara Licha says of her galvanised wire with metal frame work: "Describes the contemporary individual surrounded by the magnitude of everyday emotions."

eye sea you (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

eye sea you by Tim and Shayn Wetherell from the Australian Capital Territory.

Made of perspex and plaster of paris.

The artists say: "Explores people's differing perceptions of reality with special reference to technology and the changes it brings."

easel windframe (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

First, thanks for the birthday greetings from all my lovely friends!


Tim Prentice is from the USA. His work is made of aluminium, and is 600cm x 300cm x 400cm.

The artists says: "I take it as an article of faith that the air around us moves in ways that are organic, whimsical, and unpredicatable. I therefore assume that if I were to abdicate the design to the wind, the work would take on these same qualities. The architect in me studies matters of scale and proportion. The engineer minimizes friction to make the wind visible. The artist wants to understand its changing shape. Meanwhile, the child wants to play."

I was lucky enough to see this work as the rising sun caught the shiny metallic surfaces and turned some of the silvery aluminium pieces to gold.

once was blue (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

Above: One of the crew members checks the sculptures early in the morning to ensure all is well. There are security guards on duty overnight.

This work is by Stephen Short from Queensland. It's made of pvc pipes, pop rivets and tactile adhesive.

Meaures 150cm x 250cm x 70cm.

The artist says : "Will all coral look like this in 50 years time?"

gilded cage (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

Last year my favourite Sculpture By The Sea piece was this one, by Alex Kosmas, and I showed it on my birthday (today!). So having begun that "tradition" last year, here we are this year. (He was born the same year I was).

It was located in this same spot.

Kormas again occupies this gorgeous site on a ledge overlooking the ocean.

This is entitled "gilded cage" and is made from gold leaf, stainless steel, brass and cast bronze. It's 80cm x 90cm x 170cm.

The artist says: "The tree laid out on the board table like an agenda item is an item of pathos, a state reinforced by the cage, which surrounds and unites the world of business with the world of nature."

the shoppers (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

Artist Jie Qian says: "In a commercial world full of temptation, will one gain salvation through material satisfaction, or be lost in a life of luxury?"

This work is made of painted fibreglass.

I love the colours.

Not a Sculpture (Sculpture By The Sea 2009)

First, a great big Hello to all my readers, and especially Sculpture By The Sea fans (hi, Nathalie!!) . I am really, really sorry I don't get back often to comment or visit your blogs, but life got so much busier this year when I took on a new job, it is all I can do to keep the blog going - going out and taking pics as well as posting and researching.

But all your comments come in to my email and I do read them!

OK, so this is not a sculpture. It is the home of a man known as the "Bondi Caveman". He lives on this ledge overlooking the sea. Today he is in the news, which is why I am posting this. He has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman visitor to S x S, and has been denied bail.

You can read the story here. Time will tell if he is guilty, but I thought it was a newsworthy aspect to the exhibition. Tomorrow coverage of the sculptures resumes (J Bar - there are 114 in this year's exhibition; I will not be showing them all!!)

Update: His house was demolished this morning (18 November) as it is on Crown (public) land.