SCULPTURE CULTURE

By David Constable AM

Before I became involved in the collection of sculptures for the Constable Estate Sculpture garden, I was unaware of the impact of their location on the vineyard. Over time, you develop an eye for such things but initially, naiveté probably rules.

Our first project was a dedicated sculpture area within the garden and here it was relatively easy to place the pieces within the allocated space. Even when we bought some larger sculptures, it seemed a simple task but it wasn't until we acquired ‘Manhattan’ and the sculptor himself came to the vineyard to find the optimum location for his piece that I realised placement itself was an art. 'Manhattan,'by Campbell Robertson Swann, is a contemporary work in slate-coloured and mirrored steel in the shape of a reverse U, 2.2m high.

When I saw the work at the sculptor’s studio, my mind flew to various locations on the vineyard and I thought an open space would be the perfect home. But Campbell was surprisingly adamant in his choice of location. After walking around the series of gardens and open grounds, he settled on the Secret Garden, where a sculpture already stood! It was a Victorian statue of Mercury in take-off mode, complete with winged sandals, plumed hat and drawstring purse. Mercury had seemed so well suited to this romantic environment and his presence had overseen the growth of two magnificent Chinese Elms which stood on either side of the rectangular space, mysteriously enclosed by a Western Red Cedar hedge and guarded by two protective bronze lions.

Did this sculptor want Manhattan to share the space with Mercury? No, he wanted Manhattan to replace Mercury who was to be evicted to the shade of a Casuarina tree near the house! I was truly shocked and upset for my light-footed friend but went along with the change having been persuaded it would be better for Mercury to be closer to human contact, enjoying the stream of visitors to the cellar door. Strangely enough, Mercury did adapt well to his new location but what surprised me most was my respnse to seeing ‘Manhattan’ for the first time in the Secret Garden - the sense of the modern superimposed on the classical and the monumental Dionysian against Apollonian lightness. In late afternoon, the sculpture had a new life when the sun displayed all her colours through the inverted U, ricocheting glitter from the mirrored surface.

Having learned so much about sculpture installation from this experience, I left the placement of our new piece, ‘Wind, Shining, 2007’ by the Japanese sculptor Hiroyuki Kita, to an expert. We bought this magnificent stainless steel mobile, which is finely balanced on a tall rod and ball bearings, at ‘Sculpture by the Sea’. The steel, red-tipped mobile, which can be enticed by the merest whisper of a breeze, was installed near the edge of the dam. Proudly independent, the interlocking movable arms reach unencumbered to the sky and if you could sit on top and twirl, both ‘Manhattan ‘and Mercury would be easily visible.

THE SCULPTURE GARDEN
There are a number of bronze sculptures by various Australian artists, including several by Newcastle - born Julie Squires. Her 1½ times life-size bronze of the illustrious English cellist, Jacqueline Du Pre was unveiled in February 2006 by The Hon. Senator Helen Coonan, Minister for Media, Communication, Technology and the Arts.

"Jacqueline du Pré"

In addition to the formal gardens, there are a number of interesting sculptures placed at strategic points throughout the vineyard.