Sensual Steel Wins Thursday Plantation Sculpture Prize

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Abstraction that speaks to the heart is how Richard Moffatt described “No 433”, the work that won him the $15,000 major acquisition prize at the 11th annual Thursday Plantation East Coast Sculpture Show, which opened on Sunday 24 September.

Made from 1500 kilos of scrap steel, the sculpture’s rust-red tubing curves around itself in continuous, intertwined loops, creating a sense of fluid intimacy.

“The work reflects my personal growth as an artist. It's not intellectual but simply about being open-hearted,” said Moffatt. “When you love what you do to the depth of every cell in your body, it emanates from your work and people receive that.”

Moffatt lives in Tanja, on the South Coast of NSW near Bega. Since taking up full-time sculpting six years ago, he has won a number of awards including a Thursday Plantation commendation in 2001.

A former metal worker by trade, his creative bent was inspired by the fascinating shapes and materials he encountered in industrial sites. As a committed recycler, he always uses scrap metal for his work.

Show judge Donna Marcus, a sculptor and university lecturer in Visual Arts, praised Moffatt’s skill in creating the illusion of softness with the hardness of steel. “No 433”, she said, “is both monumental and playful. It is a really resolved piece.”

Also on the judging panel was arts writer Ken Scarlett, a highly respected authority on Australian sculpture. Commenting on the overall quality of this year’s show, he said that although the judges “happily reached a unanimous decision about the winner, there were a number of other serious contenders”.

Scarlett said the panel was also impressed by the diversity and high standard of work from the large contingent of local artists educated at TAFE ’s North Coast campuses. Another of the show’s strengths, he remarked, was how skilfully some artists had integrated their installations into the natural environment throughout the sculpture walk.

This year’s sculpture show features 62 new works by 56 East Coast artists. As in previous years, it is supported by WHK Rutherfords Financial Advisers and a number of other local businesses and organisations.

The 2006 Thursday Plantation East Coast Sculpture Show award winners are:

Thursday Plantation Acquisition Award, $15,000
Richard Moffatt of Tanja, NSW, for No 433

Beach Hotel Regional Artist’s Prize, $1000,
Catherine Lane of Ocean Shores, NSW, for Comfort Zone

TAFE Arts Prize, $400
Laurindo de Abreu Soto of Belmont, Qld, for Spirit of the Forest

Crystal Castle Ephemeral Art Prize, $500
Jess Poulsen of Bangalow, NSW, for God’s Eyes

Highly Commended
Sally Simpson of Berry, NSW, for Inversion
Gordon Pupangamirri, of Main Arm, NSW, for The First Tiwi Family Phil Carr of Crabbes Creek, NSW, for Mordred Craig Raynor of Lismore, NSW, for Phallic Flowers

The Sculpture Show runs every day, from 9 am to 5 pm, until 31 January 2007. The show is located in the botanical gardens and rainforest groves of Thursday Plantation, off the Pacific Highway, 20 minutes south of Byron Bay and 1km north of the Ballina/Byron airport turnoff. Thursday Plantation also hosts a permanent sculpture collection and sculpture gallery that can be viewed all year round.