A team of Wapengo artists have been awarded a prestigious $30,000 scholarship that aims to to further their artistic development.
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Andrew Townsend said while officially he is the recipient of the Helen Lempriere Scholarship for a mid-career artist, presented by Perpetual and Sculpture by the Sea, it recognises the sculpture practice of he and his partner Suzie Bleach.
"Suzie and I, we're both in it together; we're a team and we're both thrilled and excited," Mr Townsend said.
"Sculpture by the Sea is a phenomenon that has changed our lives really and defined our practice."
While they have been working together for 28 years he said over the last decade their sculptures have focused on familiar animal subjects, such as one of a procession of steel, life-sized, domesticated farm animals in single file.
"It was such a popular work we realised that this was a way into an audience; using familiar, highly recognisable animals gave the work instant recognition and rapport with the audience," Mr Townsend said.
"Also, what we are doing is talking about the human condition: history, science, migration, conflict, mining, human emotion."
For this year's Sculpture by the Sea Mr Townsend and Ms Bleach are making an artwork called A Wounded Land, a variation of a work they had at Sculpture Bermagui of a horse dragging a hook; this time the horse will be dragging the hook in a circular pattern wearing a magnificent collar, and the hook will be tearing the ground and revealling coal beneath the surface.
"The horse is in a bleak and endless cycle. For us it is an allegory of persistence and resilience, but also of stubborn procrastination," Mr Townsend said.
"The presence of coal is an allegory to the stubborn persistence of people clinging onto coal as a source of energy, but primarily a source of money."
Mr Townsend said it was "amazing to be able to collaborate" with Ms Bleach and it was an approach that had many advantages.
"When one of you is tired or overwhelmed, often it's the other who can help you out of that," he said.
"It's certainly got it's challenges, emotions being what they are, but it's advantages are wonderful.
"It's a lonely existence by yourself, as an artist."
The Helen Lempriere Scholarship will support their research, buy a forklift for their studio, improve their online presence and hopefully fund a road trip into the Australian interior to find new sources of inspiration.
Sculpture by the Sea is one of the the largest annual sculpture exhibitions in the world and is usually presented in Sydney and Perth each year, but due to COVID-19 restrictions limiting mass outdoor gatherings this year's event will be postponed from October.
"Sculpture by the Sea, and Waverley Council are, however, reviewing potential new dates for the 2020 exhibition including staging the event later this year or early next year," the event's founding director David Handley AM said.
Albert McKnight
Journalist at Bega District News.
Journalist at Bega District News.
