Anna-Maria Plescia©, Anew, Calico and toothpicks, 152x50x25cm. (Detail)
I’ve got one word for you about the Yering Station Sculpture Prize…toothpicks. Thousands upon thousands of common garden variety toothpicks, inserted into calico and ever so carefully and ingeniously persuaded into intriguing shapes. A ‘landscape’ of prickly protrusions was visible, twisting and turning like an upended flokati rug. It invited you to touch it, to make sure that your eyes had not deceived you and that this sublime sculpture was indeed created using the everyday toothpick. I was alerted to it by my luncheon companion. “Wait till you see the toothpicks” she said, on her way to another sculpture. She didn’t want me to miss it. She needn’t have worried, it was a standout. The judges agreed unanimously that Anna-Maria Plescia’s ‘Anew’ was the 2011 winner of the Yering Station Sculpture Prize. They had been in no doubt. The audience seemed to nod in unison, at the very least, this observer was nodding in satisfied agreement.
Anna-Maria Plescia©, Anew, Calico and toothpicks, 152x50x25cm.
Susie Lachal received the Highly Commended Award for ‘Journeys Temporal’ which equates to 2nd prize.
Yering Station have an active partnership with Heide Museum of Modern Art. The Heide Scuplture Park Installation Award is a prestigious category of the Yering Station Sculpture Prize. In that category, Heide select one sculpture from the finalists each year, they deem worthy of exhibiting at Heide over the summer. This year, Wona Bae’s sculpture ‘Wishing Well’, was honoured with that award.
Wona Bae©, Wishing Well, Magnolia branches, steel and wire, 70x240x330cm. (Photograph by Kerry Cross©)
It makes sense that Wona has training and experience in floristry. She has elevated her craft to pure unadulterated art.
Wona Bae©, Wishing Well, Magnolia branches, steel and wire, 70x240x330cm. (Detail)
Photograph of Wona Bae, by Kerry Cross©
Jo Todd©, After Hadrian- Three figures: Fortuna, Bacchus/Jupiter, Diana and the Hounds, Powder coated mild steel, 240x100x1cm. (Detail)
Jo Todd©, After Hadrian- three figures: Fortuna, Bacchus/Jupiter, Diana and the Hounds, Powder coated mild steel, 240x100x1cm. (Detail)
Yering Station Arts Co-ordinator and organizer of the Yering Station Sculpture Prize, Savaad Felich was immortalised by Jo Todd (above).
Sally Kidall©, In the Bag: are we sitting comfortably? Sand coated timber chairs, grass seed, soil, hessian, plastic, 4-5mt.x60x160cm.
Titania Henderson©, Piled-up 2 bronze, Bone china and bronze, 30x48x38cm.
Dean Putting© Triumvirate, concrete, variable size.
Hanif Khairi©, Transformation, recycled plastic and recycled wood, 80x40x40cm. (Detail)
Jodie Goldring©, Mantelpiece with Cordyceps, recycled mantelpiece, plastic bread bags, parsley roots, papier-mache, copper wire, linen thread and poly fill. 165x140x25cm. (Detail)
There are many more sculptures to delight you in this exhibition. You can wander around the gardens and view them free of charge. You may like to take a picnic and enjoy the lush garden surrounds while you’re there. Or maybe a lunch at the restaurant is more your speed. On the day of the awards, I was lucky enough to sample food from the restaurant in the Barn. Over forty people enjoyed Yering Station’s hospitality as part of the awards celebration. If I say, prawn salad with a hint of mint, you’ll get a morsel of an idea of what was on offer. All washed down with Yering Station wines of course.
Photograph by Kerry Cross©
Yering Station offer the best opportunities for the public to enjoy the Yarra Valley. On the day of the awards a Jazz trio could be heard from all corners of the gardens. Children enjoyed the warm spring sunshine while dunking their feet in the pool and adults languished over picnic baskets full of goodies and a glass of wine on the lawn. There was definitely a Dejeuner sur l’herbe feel to it.
Photograph by Kerry Cross©
My sincerest thanks to Savaad Felich and Yering Station for the food, the wine, the sculptures and the great company. I really can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday. Bravo!
Photograph of Savaad Felich by Kerry Cross©
The Yering Station Sculpture Exhibition 2011, is on until 4th December.
