KENT BUCHANAN OPENED RYLSTONE SCULPTURE SHOW

‘A man climbs a mountain because it’s there. An artist makes a work of art because it’s not there’. – Carl Andre.

Kent Buchanan Curator of Dubbo Cultural Centre opened the Rylstone ‘Sculptures on the Hill’ exhibition at Rylstone Kandos Agricultural Show on Saturday the 25th February with some thoughts about what he thinks he learnt by growing up the country (in his case Dubbo).  “Living in the country taught me how to hunt, I had to explore and find the things I was interested in”. Over time he came to realise that “Living in the country  gives artists the opportunity to be both connected to the land and to express emotion in their physical work; so that they can be an intersection of understanding.

“Art offers the opportunity for reflection. A Gallery or Museum is a shelter from commerce, a space outside of the normal world in which we can stop and ruminate on beauty, ideas, feelings without an outside agenda; it is just you and the artwork. Similarly it creates conversations; dialogue between opposites and similar”. In this way a healthy balance is created that nourishes the sense of self.
Sculptures on The Hill is as much an expression of this as any bricks and mortar gallery and demonstrates “the care and love for the built environment is evident and is an acknowledgment of the continuation of culture and heritage breathing life into the soul of Rylstone.”
Art has much to offer a community in terms of creating a sense of place and ownership for/of a community. Artists contribute to the “soul” of a place by showing the viewer different way of looking at or experiencing a place.
In a time of change Artists help us solve problems – creative thinking leads to a healthy society that can surmount obstacles through collective consideration.  Artists express the inexpressible – are able to express a feeling or an issue in non-threatening and incisive ways.

With Sculptures On The Hill, Rylstone Sculptures Inc has taken the first step in achieving its goal of bringing public art to the people of Rylstone-Kandos and of achieving its dream of creating a Sculpture Walkway along the banks of the Cudgegong River.

RYLSTONE SCULPTURE EXHIBIT AT RYLSTONE-KANDOS SHOW A SUCCESS

In collaboration with the Rylstone Show committee the newly incorporated Rylstone Sculptures Inc organised a sculpture display at the Rylstone Show in February 2012. This followed the successful demonstrations of  sculpting in wood by Geoffrey  Payne and Nigel White, at the 2011 event.

It was the inaugural event in  a wider program to install public sculpture along the Cudgegong River and other parts of the town. The display at the Show, on the bank above the main arena,  it featured works from well known district artists including Ludwig Mlcek, Alex Scheibner, Tim Johnman, Norman Organ, Sue Foldhazy and Joe Shalhoub.

The ultimate objective of the project is to develop a program that will result in the acquisition and display of  public art in and around Rylstone; to foster appreciation of sculpture as an art form, and add to the town’s attractions to help boost tourism in the Rylstone/Kandos area.

Please click on the thumbnail photographs for large images of the sculptures.

Joe Shaloub
Gilgandra based artist Joe Shaloub has been working in glass for 35 years. Joe’s creative passion progressed from leadlight design to using a kiln firing process to create his unique and often experimental artworks.  Joe uses a variety of techniques to create stunning pieces in hot glass that range from jewellery to large sculpture.  Joe is recognised internationally as a master of his craft and is represented in significant collections worldwide.
Water Lady   $900
Produced from plate glass, this sculpture, designed for outdoor display, flawlessly symbolised both the strength and fragility of a woman. Naked to the elements, the Water Lady appears vulnerable yet is resilient and can easily withstand any exposure to the landscape.

Ludwig Mlcek
Arriving in Australia in 1968 with engineering, graphic design and art qualifications from Czechoslovakia, Lugwig is a designer, furniture maker and sculptor working in Katoomba and Rylstone.  He has been an exhibitor in Sculpture by the Sea and Sculpture in the Vineyard. He has also exhibited with the Historic Houses Trust at Rouse Hill and had a solo exhibition at the National Trust property Woodford in the Blue Mountains.
Eternal Desire in Red  $8,800
Made from varnished California redwood over a metal tube framework, the artwork explores motion, expression, sensuality and love and the desire that we all have had to lift off and float.
That Was A Good Drop   $3,600
This piece was the result of playfully stacking timber to see where the imagery might take me. The timber has been treated with water repellent preservative and oils.

Norman Organ
Norman Organ produces metal sculptures for indoor and outdoor use from recycled metal and machinery parts, incorporating some new materials and other materials such as wood. Norman has lived in the Dubbo area all his life, and has worked as a welder for the past 31 years. He finds great enjoyment in the challenge of creating sculptures that can be easily recognised for what they are, while using recycled metal and machinery parts, along with some new materials. Norman has won the sculpture section in a number of art competitions including Zoomin Art, Art in the Vines, Dubbo Art and Crafts Biennial Art Show.
Double Bass $2,675
This work was made for a music lover’s garden. It is constructed of long lasting structural steel.

Tim Johnman
Lithgow artist Tim Johnman has been creating life size sculptures of animals for over 20 years. His work can be seen at Westmead Children’s Hospital, Taronga and Western Plains Zoo, Shelley Beach (Manly), Bondi to Bronte Coast Walk, National Pass in the Blue Mountains and the Charles Darwin Monument at Lake Wallace, Wallerawang. He has an abiding interest in capturing the essence of the natural world and loves that his works can be, and are, climbed upon by children and their parents.
Blink    $1,540
Blink was the result of two days in a shed with a goat. Initially sculpted in clay over a timber and chicken-wire frame, the finished piece is cast (via latex mould) in a concrete/fibre glass composite which is a highly durable material suited to outdoor exposure.

Alex Scheibner
Alex Scheibner was trained in blacksmithing and metal work, and creates functional forms, architectural elements, body armour and sculpture. Working out of a studio in Rylstone, he says of making sculpture “the freedom of creating something that exists just to be viewed and doesn’t necessarily have to fit the body or perform a set task is very liberating. I let my imagination have free run of my hands and surrender to what comes out. This often leads to a series of sculptures with a common theme”.
Cubestack No. 5   $2,500
Fabricated steel with rust finish, 1.5 meters, this is a stack of cubes caught in time just as they start falling.
Cubestack No 6 $3,000
Fabricated mild steel. 1.6m high, paint finish.
Sue Foldhazy
Rylstone artist Sue Foldhazy completed her studies in Ceramics and began exhibiting locally in 2008.  She has had work in exhibitions at Cudgegong Gallery in Gulgong, Fairview Artspace and The Stables in Mudgee and at No. 47 in Rylstone. She produces both functional and decorative ceramics in stoneware for kitchen and table, and sculptures for the garden. In this work Sue is exploring the generous curves of the female form. Constructed from robust stoneware clay and fired to a high temperature, the images include tattoos carved into the surface.
Airmid (Irish)   P.O.A
Airmid is a healing goddess with knowledge of medicinal plants.
Brigit (Irish)    $550
The goddess Brigit is midwife and protector of women and children.