Today I would have been helping set up the title labels for the exhibition at the Carlton Gardens.... but the whole Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show was cancelled a week ago and we have all been running around ever since trying to figure what to do....
Hopefully there will be an online exhibition. It will be hard putting that together since sculpture is a matter of real presence.
A Silver Nutmeg and a Golden Pear (2018)
It's been a bit tricky getting work done lately - car out of action in the airbag saga and not going to be replaced because my dear little Honda is 22 years old... but irreplaceable... I suppose I'll be managing with car share for a while - I'm just nervous of that too while the 'rona is about.
So wash hands everyone - we'll get an online exhibition going and put on a better show on the other side of this world changing crisis.
After a long break it's time to update the records.
"Meander" went into the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show. No sale and no prize but it looked pretty well there.
"Meander" as photographed by Rob Anderson at MIFGS 2019
Lucky for me - and a pretty impressive compliment the work sold later to one of my suppliers... it's gone to a very loving home. Wow!
So on with the show fortified by that bit of confidence raising I worked on the inspiration of Shakespeare's Sonnet 29... and thought of the emotional lift at dawn when the birds go up all together.
The process was prolonged... finding the form and then figuring how to make it... and then transporting the wax in its frame hanging by bits of jute string to the foundry.... Mal Wood is not only skilful but extremely courageous!
And so the work was exhibited at the Association of Sculptors of Victoria Annual and Awards Exhibition - to prize winning acclaim! An honour! Lucky me!
a work in bronze, glass
stainless steel and pebbles
with a signature "rock"
... at break of day arising.....
as photographed by Rob Hay
The Gunnersen Thomas medallion
sculptor Michael Meszaros
Winner of the 2019 Margaret Gunnersen William Hoggan Thomas Award 2019
I owe so many people for their support in making this one... first Yvonne for putting the pressure on to make something for the ASV exhibition at the Flower Show. Then Mal Wood for taking my experimental work and coping with the inherent difficulty of an experiment and the deadline... and getting an amazing result...wow! And - there's more - Andrew Bryant found some timber lying around and turned it into the base for the work...... all that to produce an object from an idea - thank you everyone...
Stage one was the experiment: to see if bronze woven wire can be used to support a wax sculpture for a lost wax casting.
the wax - on bronze woven wire
That was tricky - the micro crystalline wax I used was too soft... so the work was floppy and had to be cut into multiple pieces - a total learning experience - but now I'm on the journey and can make more complex pieces... I hope.
the first view of the bronze casting after it has been reassembled
There was some holding of breath and then mad exultation when Mal and his team showed me the casting - it danced - it lives!
Then to find a base to present the work - much thanks to Andrew!
Burning is magic too
Thanks Andrew.... then assembly and patenation - alchemy!
And finally the pear.... it's been a while since I cast work in the kiln... now I can get a reading on how my power consumption goes:
Two molds went into the kiln on the Saturday afternoon.... I tried to pick the time when there wouldn't be a "curb your power" moment... just made it!
two castings and one to be used on this tree
And then... oh yes David helped me get the work out of the car and set up at the show.
image: Rob Anderson Photography
image: Rob Anderson Photography
and then... thanks everyone.... the work won a second prize in the Garden Section... and it sold! Am I a lucky one!
"Dancing Tree" in its new home - thank you everyone!
The well dressed sculptor will wear - plastic - garbage bags to be precise and the latest in rubber boots - but the wet grinder is pretty good. And the shaping came along quite nicely. However there is still quite a bit of equipment and material lacking... a big drill for stainless rods - a piece of granite - lots of little things that Andrew Bryant "just happened" to have lying around - and a generous nature to go with.
Andrew attacking the red gum/iron bark that used to be a railway sleeper
Having set it up there was a lot of finishing - so back to the studio and sand, sand, sand - a bit of chisel, sand, sand again, water spray.... oh yes a meal or two and say hello.... will it ever be right?
And then to the various hard wares for sealer and oil for the wood... getting exciting - which day are we setting up? St Patrick's Day - the better the day, the better the deed!
And there we were at the show - most of the work was in - people had various shifts so we weren't all there at once. And Mark coped magnificently with getting the paperwork done and everyone in a good spot - more than 100 good spots in an exhibition - only Mark could do it!
And then fussing with the level - and is it quite right here? Can it tell the story of that moment in the Black Queen when Gale's lamp made me so present and aware - of the story of light as we humans love it.
A Moment in the Story of Light - Lightning Ridge sandstone, red gum, stainless steel, granite
