Daniel Clifford Sculpture

Winners Of Sculpture Wanganui 2010 Announced

The 'Balancing Act' sculpture, by artist Daniel Clifford, is the winner of the inaugural Sculpture Wanganui 2010 event.

The decision by independent judge Rob Garrett was announced at an awards evening at the Sarjeant Gallery last night. The artist receives a prize of $50,000 and the sculpture will be permanently sited along the riverfront.

Rob Garret was impressed by the high calibre of all of the entries to the competition and described the four shortlisted works, currently installed along the riverfront near Dublin Street Bridge, as "very creditable works by distinguished artists."

The quality of the sculptures made the judging decision a difficult one. "Each of the works offers a different visual language, but all with stories which link to the locality of Wanganui and the river."

'Balancing Act,' which is also known as 'the pencils' stood out for a number of reasons.

"Its scale, colour, simple and recognisable forms make it highly suitable for a variety of public locations where it will be easy to see from a distance and will likely draw people in to inspect it up close.

"Daniel Clifford's artwork is also appealing because it is distinctive and different, unlike any other public artwork or monument in the city and therefore a distinctive point of difference for Wanganui that should become a point of attraction for locals and visitors alike.

"His work brings a lovely mix of Clifford's local knowledge, as the artist grew up here and was educated at UCOL, and his international experience. Currently based in Brisbane Clifford has been involved in creating sculptural works for events such as the Shanghi Expo.

"His experience can be clearly seen in the simple and bold qualities of his design."

"This has been an incredibly strong field for a new competition and I can see Sculpture Wanganui becoming a major event in the NZ arts calendar," says Rob Garrett.

The Powerco Wanganui Trust People's Choice award winner was "Kereru" by artist Paul Dibble. He will receive $25,000 as the People's Choice winner. The work, crafted in steel and bronze, is a powerful statement about the river and the way many of our native birds are flowing back into the town and surrounding bush.

Mayor Michael Laws is delighted with the response to Sculpture Wanganui.

"This has been a fantastic event so far. I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to view the sculptures and vote in the People's Choice award.

"As well as 'Balancing Act' having a permanent home in Wanganui, the Powerco Wanganui Trust has secured the 'Kereru' sculpture for the city. As a result of the first Sculpture Wanganui event, our city will have two wonderful sculptures by artists of international standing.

"Council made a bold decision to support an event of this nature but the links between investing in high quality public art and its contribution to reinvigorating city and urban areas is a proven model in many parts of the world.

"The addition of two fabulous works to our riverfront area, which is undergoing a renaissance, is an exciting and positive result from our inaugural sculpture event."

The four entries in Sculpture Wanganui 2010 will be on view to the public until 4 October 2010.