YOUR INTERPRETATION… ‘Wandering’ by David Ball was unveiled on Tuesday, 6.5km from Condobolin along the Lachlan Valley Way and is number 18 (including the smaller sculptures in the Forbes CBD) on the Sculpture Down the Lachlan (SDL) trail. Four more sculptures will be added to the SDL this year.
The 18th instalment of the Sculpture Down the Lachlan (SDL) trail was unveiled on Tuesday, and it encourages viewers to draw meaning from their own experience.
Wandering by Southern Highlands sculptor David Ball was officially unveiled 6.5km outside Condobolin along the Lachlan Valley Way towards Forbes.
“You can see this sculpture like a piece of music – it’s suggestive,” said David of the largest commission of his career to date.
Unlike the other sculptures that feature along the SDL trail, Wandering does not have a narrative. While the abstract piece was made in reference to the picturesque landscape in which it sits, it invites the viewer to create a narrative for themselves.
“It’s about the viewer walking through it, walking around it, and experiencing what it does for them. For some people it may mean a lot, for others it may mean nothing at all.
“I see it as being about the geology of the area – the curving lines are of the life that surrounds the river. I’d like to think that it connects well with where it is, and hopefully viewers can see it in harmony or co-existence with the landscape.”
The sculpture comprises of four pieces, each taking six to eight weeks to construct. Combined, the piece weighs 18 tonne and is made of 100 sheets of corten steel.
“One of the benefits of exhibiting art in this way is that it exposes new audiences to Australian sculpture,” said Forbes Arts Society Chairperson Trudy Mallick.
“The beauty of this trail is that we are seeing people engage with art that wouldn’t typically. It’s been wonderful to see the farming communities of Forbes and Condobolin embrace the SDL concept wholeheartedly and become sculpture ambassadors.”
Lachlan Shire Mayor John Medcalf OAM said the residents of Lachlan Shire were very pleased to accept the Wandering sculpture into their community.
“The ‘Wandering’ sculpture is a fantastic addition to the Lachlan trail, providing visitors with the unique experience of being able to judge for themselves the meaning of the artwork, and I urge locals and visitors alike to take in this new addition for themselves,” said Sam Farraway MLC.
The Sculpture Down the Lachlan extension is part of the $7.2 million ‘Boosting the Lachlan Valley Economy Art Project’, funded by the NSW Government’s Restart NSW program, the Forbes Arts Society, Forbes Shire Council, Lachlan Shire Council and Evolution Mining.
The project aims to foster visual arts throughout the Forbes Shire, grow the visitor economy and promote the Lachlan Valley region as a premier tourism destination.
For more information about the project, visit www.forbesartssociety.com.