Evergreen sculpture shines in international award
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Canberra artist Benjamin Shine has been nominated for a major international design award for an imposing new public sculpture in Denman Prospect.
For more than a decade, the annual CODAwards have highlighted the most eye-catching and ambitious examples of commissioned artworks in interior, architectural, or public spaces. The Collaboration of Design + Art program is coordinated by the Wisconsin-based CODAworx but has a global reach, honouring projects from Canada to Kosovo.
This year, Benjamin Shine, who was born in the UK but moved to Canberra in the early 2000s after falling in love with a Canberra girl, now his wife, Danielle, has made the international field.
Better known for his iconic tulle faces which have been shown in galleries and collections across the globe, Benjamin’s Everchange, is an imposing metal structure which helps anchor a public park in the new Canberra development.
Inspired by the mottled patterns of changing Autumn leaves, Everchange takes the form of a large sphere assembled from 2500 spinners, each made up of yellow, green, orange and red planes. When the wind blows across the sphere, a mesmerizing effect occurs as the surface pattern ripples and fluctuates, reshuffling the colours to create a new and ever-changing surface pattern.
In his nomination, Benjamin said there were some logistical challenges in creating such a complex work – which was a collaboration with Vert Design and Tilt Industrial Design.
“Ensuring the spinners would spin in moderate wind, and remain functional over time was the biggest challenge. Due to the long lead time of the massive 5000 house development, we were fortunate to have the time to perfect the design with field tests spanning over a year in all weather conditions. Besides the spinner component, the balance between weight, strength and durability of the coloured discs was critical. They needed to be light enough to catch the wind but strong and durable enough to withstand the elements (including hail). Many designs were tested before achieving the final version, which successfully endured the final six months of building site dust with no adverse effect on the performance of the spinners.”
The work is eligible for voting in the People’s Choice CODAward here.
