Outdoor Art
M. & I made the annual Bondi pilgrimage to “Sculpture by the Sea” over the weekend, although I’d say mainly on the basis that her cousin’s husband, Mark McClelland, had a piece in the show. In fact, it won the big NAB prize, something the Sydney Morning Herald was a little dismissive of, attributing the accomplishment somewhat to its position. This is more than a little unfair, since it wouldn’t have been the artist choosing the location, but the curators, in which instance they did a swell job. It’s also worth taking into account that a substantial number of the installations – and many of them amount to that more than to a more specific categorization as “sculpture” – aren’t particularly site-specific. The Andy Warhol wire mesh bust, for example, has no real place in an outdoor show, let alone one that ranges over two kilometres of dramatic shoreline. Mark’s piece suited its position, much more so than some of the others. In itself it was an accomplished work, quite a surprise, really, as we had no idea he’d taken it up.

There were other pieces in the show that I liked quite a lot as well and some – many, really – that were just “Sculpture-by-the-Sea” sculptures. A Christo-ish wrapping of a massive boulder was derivative, perhaps, but nonetheless effective for the change it wrought over how you looked at something you’ve seen so many times. The Perspex sphere floating offshore (for sale! Put it in your pool!) drew and held the gaze, bobbing in the swells. The dogs ranged in stopped motion up a hill were evocative of wildness, the sort of shock that runs through you when unexpectedly encountering animals in their natural habitat and state. The iron sea urchins were quite good, too.