
Archive
The 2007–08 exhibition
4 November 2007 – 31 January 2008
The inaugural Stoneleigh Sculpture in the Gardens in 2007 was a significant arts event. After putting a toe in the water with a sculpture exhibition at the Auckland Botanic Gardens in 2005, Auckland Council started to embrace the potential of public art to enhance people’s enjoyment of its parks, to excite their imaginations and express the diverse creative talents of the people of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
Already boasting a growing collection of permanent sculptures from artists including Fred Graham, Virginia King, Maui’ Atalanga ‘Ofamo’oni and Richard Mathieson, the Gardens were magically changed by the works, all of which had been carefully considered for their individual settings. Visitors could see the gardens through new eyes and at the same time gain an appreciation of the role art plays in our everyday lives.
The curatorial approach to this exhibition was not to look for any theme or connecting thread between the sculptures – instead the works would respond innovatively to the gardens themselves. The Auckland Botanic Gardens encompasses a great variety of moods and spaces and as a result all the sculptors found sites that suited their vision for their work. For many of the sculptors, a sustaining concept in their work was the importance of conservation and the need to respect the natural world of which we are a part – a worthwhile principle for us all.
The artists participating in 2007 were: Tanya Ashken, Chiara Corbelletto, Bing Dawe, Paul Dibble, Charlotte Fisher, Fiona Garlick, Fred Graham, David Guerin, Christine Hellyar, John Ioane, Virginia King, Peter Lange, Barry Lett, Samantha Lissette, David McCracken, Neil Miller, Phil Neary, Matt Pine, Terry Stringer, Llew Summers, Marte Szirmay, Jeff Thomson, Filipe Tohi, Greer Twiss, Warren Viscoe, Jim Wheeler, and Steve Woodward.
Winners
The McConnell Family Supreme Award
Barry Lett Big, Rock Dog
The Friends of the Auckland Botanic Gardens Acquisition
Peter Lange, Camp site
The People’s Choice Award
Virginia King, Pupu Harakeke
Artists
Llew Summers, Butterfly, cast bronze, 2.2m
Chiara Corbelletto, DELTA 11 & DELTA 13, steel, zinc coated & powder coated, 0.9m
Tanya Ashken, Sky Whale, fibreglass & composite material, 3.84m
Bing Dawe, Never Much Loved – Black Shag at the Ox-Bow, painted steel & bronze (bird), 1.9m
Paul Dibble, Haeata – Dawn After Michelangelo’s Tomb for the Medici, Porehu – Dusk After Michelangelo’s Tomb for the Medici, cast bronze, 2.5m
Charlotte Fisher, Signal, steel & wood, 3m
Fiona Garlick, Giant Charm Bracelet, steel & found objects, 5m diameter
Fred Graham, Ohorere – ‘to startle’, stainless steel, 1m off the water
David Guerin, Tower of Power, Hawkesbury sandstone, steel & wood, 2.5m
Christine Hellyar, Flight from the Forest, cast bronze & stainless steel, 1.2m
John loane, Pearliculture, polystyrene & marine epoxy resin, 2m
Virginia King, Pupu Harakeke – Flax Snail, marine grade 316 stainless steel, 2m
Peter Lange, Campsite – boat & tent, brick & tile, 0.6m & 1m
Barry Lett, Big Rock Dog, steel, fibreglass & scoria rock, 3.4m
Samantha Lissette, The Long Embrace, cast bronze, 1.7m
David McCracken, Tread Lightly, stainless steel, 2m
Neil Miller, Tree, structural steel, zinc & epoxy, 3.2m
Phil Neary, HE HE HE HE HA (on reflection), steel, stainless steel, cast bronze & patina, 1.4m
Matt Pine, Network 11, painted steel, 1.4m
Terry Stringer, Living in My Head, polychromed cast bronze, 2.22m
Marte Szirmay, XY Factor, sand cast bronze & patina, 1.1m
Jeff Thomson, Topiary, corrugated iron & paint, 2.5m, 1.8m & 3m
Filipe Tohi, Manulele (Running Bird), aluminium, 2.12m
Greer Twiss, Baby Buggies, mild steel, 1.15m
Warren Viscoe, Feral Overcoat, painted wood, 3.5m
Jim Wheeler, Kudzu! Bronze, stainless steel, concrete, iron & car body lacquers, 1.5m
Steve Woodward, Kuri Topiary, 304 & 316 stainless steel, 3.3m
Bing Dawe, Never Much Loved – Black Shag at the Ox-Bow, painted steel & bronze (bird), 1.9m