Sunshine Coast Council

Spirit House, Craig Medson, Maleny, Queensland, Australia - Helidon Sandstone

This is not the original sculpture created by Craig. The first Spirit House developed a crack from within its heart, and was replaced by this new work. The original work was removed due to safety concerns but can still be viewed, in the horizontal, near the picnic shelter in the Sculpture Garden near the end of the trail. The three white marble cylinders within the fold of the sculpture represent 'family'. Lean against the sculpture and the sculpture rotates on a stainless steel shaft and bearing. Craig Medson and his wife Fiona, who is also a sculptor, project-managed the Sculpture Symposium in 2005, inviting artists they had worked with in other symposia overseas.

Python in Waiting, Silvio Apponyi, Adelaide Hills, South Australia - Black Chillagoe Marble (with frog)

In the early days, when volunteers were working at clearing the bush of weeds and exotic trees, a carpet snake, which they called Axminster, resided here. This sculpture by Silvio is fondly called Axminster by the Friends of the Gardens. Silvio finished the sculpting, but after the initial work was finished, the sculpture needed to be polished. Volunteers wore out many fingertip rubber gloves doing this polishing, starting with rough sandpaper and ending the process with the finest of sandpaper. Because volunteers did the polishing, Silvio could move on to a new sculpture, instead of spending his limited time polishing. The Python regularly gets a treatment of sanding and oiling to keep it shiny. Feel the smoothness of the beautiful snake. Silvio sometimes, but not always, adds to his works a small frog which is not always easy to find. See if you can find it in this and others of his many works displayed in the Garden. Young children love to help in this search.

White Marble Torso, M.J. Anderson, Oregon, USA - White Chillagoe Marble
M.J. has several torsos in the Sculpture Garden which are distinctive and easily identified. The torsos are imperfect, as, in the artist's words - 'no woman's body is perfect'. This artist was able to do so much work in such a short time as only minimal stone had to be removed to allow the natural shape of the rock to reveal the essence of a torso. This piece was created as a response to the natural shape of the stone, when the artist saw a figure in the stone to be 'released'. As a result of the popularity of her sculptures displayed in this Garden, M.J. was commissioned to do a marble sculpture in the Noosa Botanic Garden.

Goanna, Silvio Apponyi, Adelaide Hills, South Australia - Black Chillagoe Marble (with frog)

This goanna is most appropriately included in the Garden collection as we have goannas that sometimes roam through the Gardens. This one is circling water. When the Sculpture Garden first opened, people regularly dropped coins into the water, like a wishing well. Look at and feel the textured belly of the Goanna, which contrasts with its smooth, shiny back. The belly merges into the untreated black marble, looking just as it did when dug from the earth in Chillagoe. Feel the smoothness of his back. (Remember to look for a little frog.)

Casuarina Torso, M.J. Anderson, Oregon, USA - Helidon Sandstone

This work sits near a Casuarina tree, the position having been specifically requested by M.J. herself. M.J. had never worked in sandstone before and found it very soft compared to marble. She therefore had to experiment with different tools and textures in the creation of this piece.

The Gift, Dr. Rhyll Hinwood, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia - Helidon Sandstone

The leaves around the sides of the sculpture are those of the Cabbage Tree Palm (Livistona Australis). A large living example of this palm can be seen near the pathway by the sandstone sculpture, The Cycle, to be found further along the trail.

Chronicle,Seung-Woo Hwang, South Korea - White and Black Chillagoe Marble

Hwang is interested in portraying history in his works. In this work he does this in two ways - the marble is carved to resemble a scroll of rolled paper with pages and letters on the vertical section, and on the bottom section on the right there is a black marble form (like a wooden roller from a historical scroll). If you put your ear to it, you can hear the wind of history passing through the scroll. This sculptor has cleverly hollowed out the bottom of this sculpture allowing air to pass through it, so the holes on the front can be played with your hands like a percussive instrument.

Pelican, Silvio Apponyi, Adelaide Hills, South Australia - White Chillagoe Marble

Silvio was invited back to the Gardens in 2006 and again in 2007 to create some more animal sculptures in marble. Silvio could 'see' a reclining Pelican in the natural shape of this marble block. He said that he just had to 'release' it from the stone!

The Embrace, Jaroslava Sicko-Fabrici, Slovakia - Black Chillagoe Marble

While Jaroslava's husband, Jan, did all the heavy cutting work on Infinity, which is the next sculpture displayed, Jaroslava had time to create this beautiful sculpture in black marble. The natural shape of the stone inspired her to see two lovers embracing within the stone.

Infinity, Jaroslava Sicko-Fabrici, Slovakia - White Chillagoe Marble

This was a very large work to create in the symposium time-frame. Jaroslava's husband, Jan, is also a sculptor and his skill and physical strength were needed to do most of the diamond saw cutting and drilling in the creation of this sculpture. Jaroslava did a lot of the finishing sanding and smoothing with Jan, so this work was a real collaborative effort. It was decided that the marble cut-outs of Infinity that you will notice placed nearby, would sit well in the Garden and give a bit of history relating to the piece.

The Cycle, Seiji Mizuta, Japan - Helidon Sandstone

This sculpture is based on the significance of 12. For example - months in a year, the horoscope and time-keeping. Seiji normally sculpts in granite so he wanted to try some Australian sandstone. He could not believe how quickly the work progressed compared to working with granite. Needless to say, he had plenty of time to create this sculpture during the symposium. Seiji enjoyed the experience of working with Australian sandstone but was happy to continue working in granite when he returned to his homeland, Japan.

Equinox, Miguel Isla, Spain - Black and White Chillagoe Marble

This sculpture by Miguel can be interpreted many ways, which is the beauty of abstract art - different people can read it differently. It is obviously about contrasts - black and white, natural and man-made, night and day. If it makes you think and use your imagination, then the artist and his work have succeeded.

Man of Nature, M.J. Anderson, Oregon, USA - White Chillagoe Marble

This work was created to honour the local indigenous people. The artist respectfully sought and received permission from a member of the indigenous community to portray an indigenous Man of Nature with trees growing out of his fingers and with traditional face markings.

Gum Leaf Seat, Richard Newport, Doonan, Queensland, Australia - Spotted Gum and Stainless Steel

Take a moment to sit and rest. Enjoy the special calm and peace of the Garden.

Lace Monitor, Deidre Phipps, Maleny, Queensland, Australia - Ceramic

During the Symposium in 2005, the artists gathered for lunch under the shade of a huge Blackbutt tree. A Lace Monitor Goanna would often visit the artists during their break and climb the trunk of the tree above them. This was a great fascination, particularly to the overseas sculptors. These daily lunch-time visits of the Lace Monitor inspired Deidre to create this charming work.

The Passage, Jean-Paul Chablais, France - Sandstone and Tallowwood Log

Two huge sandstone blocks and a Tallowwood tree from the Botanic Gardens were sculpted then assembled, in a beautiful setting. To create this work in only two and a half weeks was a mighty and impressive achievement. The composition and the setting create a powerful sculpture. It is left up to you, the viewer, to decide how to interpret The Passage.

Fragment(of the above sculpture), Jean-Paul Chablais, France - Sandstone and Tallowwood Log

The large block of Jean-Paul's sculpture The Passage had a natural flaw running through it. While being moved, this flaw opened up and a large piece cracked off and broke away, falling to the ground. It was decided to make this fragment into another sculpture to be placed and displayed alongside the original work. Jean-Paul has since visited the Sculpture Garden and is said to be very happy with the way it is now. Two sculptures have been presented and sit side by side in the Garden.

Black Torso, M.J. Anderson , Oregon, USA - Black Chillagoe Marble

This very interesting torso came quite easily to the artist. The black marble had so much natural character, M.J. needed only to cleverly emphasise areas here and there to form the female torso. The work has a powerful 'Earth Mother' or 'Fertility Goddess' presence about it.

Listen Seat, Natalia Broadhead, Kin Kin, Queensland, Australia - Metal

There is a log behind this seat where those involved in the very early stages of the planning and design of the Botanic Gardens used to sit, imagine, talk and dream of what could be. This seat represents the Gardens emerging from the natural bushland and from the dreams and hopes of these men and women.