Flying Fish with Gillie and Marc
Melbourne Cup day or Sculptures by the Sea? What a dilemma…..we chose Sculptures of course!
Tuesday was a wet and windy day but that did nothing to distract from the spectacular display of art on the shores on Bondi and Tamarama. With the picturesque view of the Bondi horizon and an umbrella in hand we set off to see the 2015 showcase of local and international talent.
A quick 3 minute wait under the rocks of Bondi for the downpour to pass, our mission began with a cork display, fine lined metal wire coiling pieces and the magnitude of mirrors overlooking a half way junction of the walk.
But of course, we couldn’t wait to see the masterpiece of Gillie and Marc and their ‘Flying Fish’!!
An oversized winged fish flying in the air and weighing in at over 200kg, a rope lasso tied around its body continues to the ground and as the wind blows the winged fish turns with the breeze.
Gillie and Marc illuminate: “The idea behind this sculpture is to discuss the effect humans have on animals which is symbolised through the rope pulling the fish down and restricting its movement. We chose the flying fish because they are an animal that has adapted to survive in the face of loss of habitat and changing temperatures. They may have even seen their population increase as a result.”
As the wind blew on this 5 metre sculpture it turned and swung and it’s realness was felt by the audience. Just seeing 5 metres of solid bronze was impressive enough but the conceptual concerns by Gillie and Marc transform this piece into a thought-provoking and stunning sight.
With some great works for the kids like ‘the bottles’ by RCM Collective and notable others like artists, Chen Wenling, Wang Shugang and Arissara Read, this years Sculpture by the Sea was fantastic.
