Wolfgang Buttress' Venus Rising wins public poll. Photo courtesy Department of Public Works.
Which did you prefer, a 10-storey kangaroo or an abstract spire? See the photo gallery. That question was hotly debated by Brisbanites this January and we now have the answer.
Park opens
The Premier opened the new Kangaroo Point park on January 24th and also announced that British artist Wolfgang Buttress' Venus Rising, was the winner of the statewide poll to decide the major new public art work for the park.
Venus Rising will be installed in 2010, and is one of five public art works for the park funded by art+place, the Queensland Government Public Art Fund. You can take a virtual tour of the planned park.
Where is the park?
You'll find the park on River Terrace in Kangaroo Point. The park is situated on top of the Kangaroo Point Cliffs.
Wolfgang Buttress’s winning submission
Wolfgang Buttress engaged with “a universal beauty” based on natural forms, said the panel. His sculpture references the intersecting rings of a nautilus shell. The panel said: “From a distance the form appears simple, and its detail is revealed only on closer inspection. The concept design scored highly on artistic merit and technical innovation, with the artist's experience and excellent track record also taken into consideration.” See what else the panel thought.
Alex Pentak’s submission
The panel was impressed by Pentek’s “big, bold pop art” sculpture and noted that the origami folds of Corten A grade steel would reflect light at any time of day, provide shade for visitors and create a striking focal point that could be seen from many sight lines. See what else the panel thought.
The four other public artworks
In addition to Crescendo, four other public artworks have been commissioned for the park. These works all form part of the overall park design and include:
- Two organic artworks, “The Green Room” and “Afforest” by Nicole Voevodin-Cash
- A playful sculpture by Melbourne artist Alexander Knox called “Untitled Wormholes”
- “Seven Versions of the Sun”, a creative treatment of the cliff edge viewing promontories by Daniel Boyd.
I wont be voting for either of the artworks in the poll.
The Kangaroo of this scale seems rather kitch now, maybe smaller ones would be nicer. The angles are also too clean against the cliff face of KP. A construction more earthy i.e from stone or wood.
As for the cigar structure, it might be nice amongst the city buildings in the city, but not on a beautiful cliff. It looks totally out of place.
A local craftsperson should also have been chosen. We have so many talanted sculptures in Brisbane.