LOVE FLOWER

A different angle

John and I giving an idea of scale

Night view with the lights on

Hello all,

Well, it's been quite an eventful week, culminating in the official unveiling of the sculpture, Love Flower, with which I have been involved.

Below is the media release which describes the project better than I can.

New Public Sculpture: Southern Way McClelland Commission

Melbourne’s cultural landscape has an exciting new addition. The next instalment of the $250,000 Southern Way McClelland biennial sculpture commission has been revealed. Artist John Meade, with Emily Karanikolopolous, was awarded the commission for his elegant and enchanting sculpture, Love Flower, which is based on an Ikebana flower arrangement design. The sculpture has replaced Gregor Kregar’s Reflective Lullaby that was located at Cranbourne Road, on the Langwarrin exit ramp close to McClelland Sculpture Park+Gallery.

Love Flower is sited along the Peninsula Link freeway in Melbourne’s South East as part of a unique and award-winning commitment to public art. Established in 2013 as a Public Private Partnership between Southern Way and McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery, this ongoing program of iconic artworks has established the Mornington Peninsula as an internationally significant hub for public art and contemporary sculpture. The series alternates every two years between sites at Skye Road and Cranbourne Road along Peninsula Link, which will result in 14 commissions over a 25-year period to 2037. Southern Way generously donates funding for the sculptures. After four years on public display the commissions become part of McClelland’s permanent sculpture collection in its 8-hectare sculpture park in Langwarrin.

“The fifth in this highly regarded series of Southern Way McClelland Commissions, Love Flower is beautiful and awe inspiring. As public sculpture this work engages in ways with the aesthetics of nature, as well as being an absolutely magical sight for all who pass by,” says Lisa Byrne, Director, McClelland Sculpture Park+Gallery.

Simon Lawrie, The Balnaves Curator of Australian Sculpture at McClelland, says “As iconic public artworks, these sculptures enliven our community and our daily commute, and encourage discussion about art and ideas – Love Flower is bound to enchant locals and visitors to the Mornington Peninsula alike.’

The Southern Way McClelland Commission 2018 received 65 submissions from local, interstate and international artists. The commission judging panel was Lisa Byrne, Director, McClelland Sculpture Park+Gallery, Maudie Palmer AO, former inaugural Director of Heide Museum of Modern Art and TarraWarra Museum of Art; and artist Lisa Roet.

John Meade is a renowned contemporary Australian sculptor, whose practice draws relations, often humorous and unexpected, between the metaphysical and surreal in the experience of contemporary life and domestic culture. He was born in Ballarat in 1956 and currently lives and working in Melbourne. Meade has exhibited widely both nationally and internationally, and his work is held in major private and public collections throughout Australia. He is represented by Sutton Gallery, Melbourne.

Emily Karanikolopoulos is an Australian artist who is a teacher and practitioner of the Japanese floral arrangement art of Sogetsu Ikebana. She is an active member of the Ikebana community of Australia, and she has attained the highest possible Ikebana accreditation outside Japan.

Lisa Byrne, Director, McClelland Gallery+Sculpture Park and Simon Lawrie, The Balnaves Curator of Australian Sculpture are available for interview, as are the artists.

                                                                                                                                                                    

McClelland Sculpture Park+Gallery, 390 McClelland Drive, Langwarrin.

Media information: Simon Lawrie, slawrie@mcclellandgallery.com, 03 9789 1671 (104)

And just a brief history of how it came about.

In January, 2016 I received an email from from John Meade, an artist of some repute and lecturer at Monash University. He had seen one of my arrangements on the Sogetsu website and was curious about the material I had used.

I explained that they were dried agapanthus flower heads that had been sprayed. I was under the impression that he wanted to know how to grow the curved stems himself. I was wrong. John contacted me later and we met, got to know each other and, long story short, he asked me if I would be interested in collaborating with him in a sculpture that he wanted to make in the shape of an agapanthus. Well, of course I was! But, seriously, not in my wildest dreams did I think that we would end up with a sculpture ten metres high. This was all John's vision.

I have a very large patch of agapanthus and when they are in flower, they are magnificent. I've been experimenting with manipulating their growth and creating interesting, curved shapes of the stems. I choose a young flower head whilst it is still soft and malleable and bend it, holding it down with a fork. Then nature takes over, with the flower wanting to grow towards the sun, thus creating  the curves.

I grew one such flower over a bent wire to create a kind of spiral shape. This took an entire growing season and then we had to wait for the flower to dry on the plant, otherwise it would rot. Neither John nor I was happy with the result, so we ditched it and started looking through my horde of dried flower heads. When I took out two such flowers that I had used together in an arrangement, we both said a resounding "YES". This was to be our shape. As for the name, 'agapanthus' is Greek for love flower.

When John contacted me telling me that he thought we should apply for a $250,000 Southern Way McClelland commission, I thought it was ambitious but 'nothing ventured, nothing gained'. Imagine my surprise and delight when he told me we were front runners!

John was an excellent project manager, overseeing the many different aspects of the whole project and bringing it to fruition.  Friday was a great day and will remain as a real highlight in my life. The channel 9 News crew were there and it was featured in Friday's evening news. For those, who may want to see that segment, I have included the link, below.
https://www.facebook.com/9NewsMelbourne/videos/love-flower/788350124917897/


After the unveiling, those of us who were closely involved with this project were invited to a sumptuous lunch at McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery. In my desire to contribute to the festivities, I volunteered to make some ikebana arrangements to be displayed at the gallery, to tie in with the original concept of the sculpture.

Referencing Love Flower at the entry of the Gallery

Below is a board with 5 miniatures, which were placed on the Reception Bench. It has been my experience that people love miniatures, creating discussion and often picking a favourite.

This next, very strong arrangement was placed at the far end of the Reception Desk.

The arrangement, below was placed on a table at the entrance of the Cafe.

The next two large arrangements were on plinths in the Function Room, where we had our lunch and, which became conversation pieces.

Pine (Pinus Radiata) and viburnum opulus in ceramic vase

Strelitzia nicolai and silk fabric in two heavy containers, necessary to hold
the very heavy flowers.

During this whole process I had, on more than one occasion, mentioned McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery and was most surprised at how few people had heard of it, let alone visited it. I can recommend it very highly for a morning or afternoon visit. It is a 16 hectare property with a collection of 2,700 significant works of art including more than 100 sculptures in the park. It also has a popular cafe, where you can enjoy a good cup of coffee or delicious lunch. I believe if you visit it once, you are bound to return.

https://www.mcclellandgallery.com/https://www.mcclellandgallery.com/

Bye for now,
Emily