SCULPTOR Philip Spelman – the man behind Bathurst’s own Redjar Redbottle – has once again been selected to exhibit at Sculpture by the Sea.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
From October 23 to November 9, the Bondi to Tamarama Coastal Walk will again be transformed into a two-kilometre temporary sculpture park featuring more than 100 sculptures by artists from Australia and the world.
Although a lot of the detail is under wraps, Mr Spelman said he will continue with his still life theme.
This time the work will feature a trumpet shape and a bottle vase and a table. Although he toyed with the idea of using a different colour, he has once again decided to go with his trademark red because it looks so good against the Bondi coastline.
Mr Spelman was one of 100 artists selected from 600 hopefuls. This year marks the 14th time one of his sculptures has been exhibited.
“I tend to work with very bright colours,” he said.
Mr Spelman said once entries closed, the successful sculptors were given four months to create their work. At the moment he is fabricating the various elements.
He said he makes all pieces individually and then works out how he is going to fit them together.
The sculptor has created a maquette, or small scale model, of his unfinished sculpture, however, he said this can change as the work progresses and takes on a life of its own.
Mr Spelman anticipates his sculpture will be fabricated by the end of September ready for painting.
The painting work itself will take about two weeks.
Because he works full-time as a lecturer in the School of Art at the Australian National University, such large projects can be challenging. He has already poured about 250 hours into his new sculpture.
“I am spending every spare moment on it,” he said.
“It’s like another full-time job. My income from art varies. Some years I get nothing, and others I might do quite well. You can’t rely solely on your art when you have a family.”
Redjar Redbottle has made its home in the forecourt of the Bathurst Library complex in Keppel Street.