Sunshine, Beach and Sculpture
2008-08-20

Sunshine, Beach and Sculpture
                                                                                      --About Sculpture by the Sea

We tend to think of 'art' as being something that exists in a building somewhere. There's also a perception that anything outside that conventional view falls into the basket of 'public art' and is somehow less 'art' because of its public nature. For 11 years now, the annual Sculpture by the Sea exhibition has challenged those ideas.

The annual Sculpture by the Sea are calling for artists to submit proposals or completed works for the exhibition that will be staged in Sydney, Australia from 1 - 18 November 2007.

Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi is Australia's largest annual outdoor free exhibition of contemporary sculpture, staged on the Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk in Sydney. The exhibition hopes to exhibit over 100 sculptures from artists all over the world.

Sculpture by the Sea have also announced that a conference will be held at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney on 1 November, with a programme of International artists, curators and academics.

Origins
First held in 1997, Sydney and Perth 'Sculpture by the Sea' exhibition is Australia's largest annual outdoor sculpture exhibition. 2006 was the tenth year it showed off the beautiful work of both Australian and overseas artists in spectacular Australian Coastal locations. Sculpture by the Sea also returns to Cottesloe Beach for the third annual exhibition from 8th to 18th March 2007. Over 50 local, interstate and international artists will transform Perth's most popular beach into a stunning sculpture park overlooking the Indian Ocean. Hugely popular, this free to the public annual exhibition attracts approximately 40,000 visitors of all ages.

Bondi
Sculpture by the Sea in Bondi is an annual event. The work is spread right across the cliff from Bronte Beach to Bondi Beach via Tamarama Beach. Every year the coastal walk is transformed into a seaside art gallery. About 100 sculptures are exhibited in the background of sea and the beautiful coastal landscape. Along the way, you can watch the swimmers in the pool at the Bondi Icebergs – so named because its members are famous for their mid-winter dips, with ice added to the water for extra shivers.Sashay down to the sand at Tamarama – "Glamarama" to the locals – for a view of some of Sydney's fashionable people pressed cheek-to-cheek. Maybe this is why Bondi is chosen for the exhibition.
This Year's Exhibition 
This year's event boasts over 100 sculptures from both local and international artists. And the organisers predict the exhibition will be seen by over 500,000 visitors – possibly as many as 1 million – over its 19 day run on Sydney's eastern shores. Certainly, the experience of viewing the works in the open air with the striking backdrop of the Pacific Ocean sets this apart as an exhibition with a difference.

Sculpture by the Sea also includes a competitive component, the NAB Sculpture Prize, worth $30,000 to the winner. This year's prize was taken out by David Horton for his work, 'Yesternight: Work in Progress'. The Wollongong artist, who teaches sculpture at the city's TAFE, entered the competition for the first time this year, on "a whim.

Among the works to stand out in this year's exhibition, Tim Kyle's 'I-Sea' – a fibreglass rendering of a giant staring Easter Island-like over Bondi beach – is sure to be a popular attraction. German artist Irene Hoppenberg strikes an Aussie cultural note with her 'Lemon Tree', featuring 1300 lemons hung from a Hills hoist.

Dillon McEwan makes a spectacular statement with his piece, 'Carcutter', which features huge insects attacking a Mercedes Benz; while Frank Malerba goes pop art with his piece, 'Bondi Fashion Accessory'.

Although Sculpture by the Sea might not have the heft of some gallery-based exhibitions, this is a fine example of bringing art to the wider community. It also features some damn fine sculpture, and its importance as a showcase of the sculptural form shouldn't be under-rated.

If you miss out on this event, there is a companion event on the west coast. It'll be held at Perth's Cottesloe Beach in March next year.