Having little experience with sculpture before but quite a curiousity, I found it an interesting collection and a very nice way to present work. By showing outdoor sculptures in an actual outdoor environment it gave every opportunity to imagine the work in one's own garden although most prices were highly limiting to most the experience of walking through the diverse environment of the vineyard while viewing the works was a pleasure and an experience in itself.
Through this exhibit we all formed strong opinions of what we liked and what we did not and also what we could accept as art and what we could not, this to me was as interesting as the work; pieces such as Jeff Thompson's "Flotsam" and Tracey Tawhiao's "Wairuaatua" were heavily debated by our group as some people though them silly as commented that anything could be seen as art.
There were a number of works I liked and all for very different reasons.
The floating works that were constrained to the water struck me for their beauty and the ease with which they glided upon the lake's surface for such large works.
The works which referenced wine worked well for me also as they were so in context with the vineyard as a back drop.
From the walk I had two clear favourites.
One was also the least pretentious work shown while still managing to be highly effective; Judy Darragh's "Bottle Run" sat well with the local background and culture of wineries while highlighting the ideas of accumulation and the contemporary wine vessel. The artist has cleverly collected many empty wine bottles and planted them in the ground in the same soil that the grapes that will fill them are sourced. I think this work is relatively subtle but well designed and placed to make the viewer think a little more deeply about the wine vessel. To me it was successful because I didn't feel pushed to understand it, it had a nice aesthetic to it and there was no price tag to write it off because of, I also liked the fact that it was recycled art, the wine bottle was easily recognisable it was its context and the vast number of bottles used in an unusual way that encouraged the viewers interest.
The second work I highly enjoyed was very different from "Bottle Run", extending many metres into the air Leon van der Eijkel's "The Memory of Windmills" was a colourful and joyful and simply huge exhibit. The artist has turned the humble childrens toy into sculptures that stand approximately 20 metres tall and rotate in the wind just like their miniature counterparts; these sculptures evoke joy and the memory of childhood in the viewer, they also make you wish for and take joy in the wind as the more it blows the faster the windmills will spin. This work truly captures the essence of 'fun', I like its ability to be enjoyed without to much complexity and the ease with which people unknowingly engage with it.
All in all the sculpture trail is well worth a look. There is such a vast quantity of work and going with a group it really encourages discussion of the pieces and art as a whole. A thoroughly enjoyable experience.
Check out www.brickbaysculpture.co.nz
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