So I blinked, and it was December...
Well, December by the time I have gotten around to sharing the promised images from the Sculpture On High outdoor schulpture exhibition at Hillview Estate in Exeter, which was held in November. But here they are - with a brief summary.
I loved the exhibition! I took my Mum, as the boys were a bit over sculpture by now - who knew?, and we escaped a potentially claustraphobic, and possibly volitile extended family situation (everyone in the house together for the weekend). We pondered the sculptures and rambled around the beautiful homestead, outbuildings and grounds of Hillview. Spectacular!
I think the event was clearly modelled on Sculpture by the Sea, which to be truthful, is what we are all modelling our sculpture events on - with respect! My thinking is to begin with something which is done well, give it a shot and then personalise it to your situation/location/audience and purse size.
I loved that there was a healthy proportion of local sculptors included, what a great opportunity for them! What drove me nuts was that I was not allowed to take an exhibition catalogue - I was given one to walk around with, but had to return it. I was told all of the information was on the website. This is the second exhibition like this where it's happened - Sculpture in the Vineyards had some printing issues and so didn't have any catalogues or list of works to view which drove me INSANE. At S-in-V we were told we would be sent one in the post. Not much use when you are walking around viewing the sculptures, and I think a huge dis-service to the artists whose work was on exhibition - as a stop gap, why didnt they quickly run off some black and white photocopies and keep re-using these when visitors requested a read?
Anyway, that's just me, I like to take a catalogue or brochure home, I re-read them and keep them for reference and use them as starting points for research material when I'm curating a show of my own. Old school. I can (and do!) also use the website and the QR codes, etc etc, but I like the catalogue.
One of the great things at S-on-High, was the sand sculpture hands on area for kids...brilliant. And I felt each sculpture was pretty thoughfully and well placed.
So, my highlights -
Truck, Dave Ball
Solar, Philip Walker
Of earth and man, Mark McClelland
Hillview Moon, Judy Coverdale-Fronsnova
Catching the moon in a bed of roses, Judy Coverdale-Fronsnova
Still Life 1 and Still Life 2, Dave Ball
Dual Cultural Communication, Britta Stennmans
Tsunami 2, Jacek Wankowski
Containment, Dave Ball
The Four Winds, Philip Walker
Global Peace Unit - 2006, Geoffrey Farquhar-Still
Clinging to the Moon, Judy Coverdale Fronsnova
and my vote for the favourite....Ghost Trio, Philip Walker.
Some details from around the property...
With sculpture out of the way, there have been birthdays (three...and one to come), Year Six graduations, end of year shenanigans and Christmas. We have all had a lovely time, I got a bonus week off before the kids finished school and frittered it away with cooking, a TINY amount of cleaning, and some Christmas shopping! One day I went back to bed once all the boys were out of the house!
We have managed a very relaxed, low key Christmas with our main goal now being to get to the ocean for a dip as often as possible. The boys begged for our traditional tree and all its trimmings back this year, which they got. Next year however, I am ruling with an iron fist and demanding my tree installation of weathered, lichen covered branches and ornaments of wood, shell, paper and tin. It has a much more relaxed, natural feel to it.
My friends run the full gamut from Christmas nuts (all-embracing, all-excitable) to those who are conscientious objectors (trying to ignore the commercial Christmas going on around them)...I think I fall in the middle. Sitting on the fence...I enjoy Christmas for the chance to catch up with family, send good wishes and take the opportunity to give and share, because we dont make the effort at other times of the year. The thing I feel really strongly about is making some Australian Christmas traditions...I'm not into the hot pudding or the snowmen. Actually I really dont like that because I think its so unlike our Christmas season, so I try to wrap and decorate with things a bit more like an Australian summer...blue, sand, gums etc. rather than snowflakes, sleds and the like.
I'm signing off...the waves are calling...
XNell
