2013 HC Coombs Creative Arts Fellowship

UK Environmental Artist Chris Drury has been invited to be the ANU 2013 HC Coombs Creative Arts Fellow. He will be an Artist in Residence hosted by the School of Art and HRC at the Research School of Humanities and the Arts.

The School of Art Sculpture Workshop has agreed to provide access to their facilities, tools and equipment, expertise and support.

Proposed Fellowship project

Chris Drury's project is to create a site specific environmental sculpture in the ANU International Sculpture Park titled: The Way of Trees, Earth and Water. During his visit to ANU in June 2012 as part of the Drill Hall Gallery Antarctica exhibition, environmental artist Chris Drury inspected the ANU Sculpture Park and campus facilities, met the staff of the School of Art Sculpture Workshop, the Facilities and Services Gardens and Grounds staff and the University Arborist.

Discussion focussed on environmental issues and the availability of tree logs on campus and those also stored as part of an ACT Government log site nearby.

At the conclusion of the visit, Drury had selected a possible site for a large scale installation at the southern end of the Park looking towards the Lake.

Using ideas based on a proposal to use available trees and logs set upright in a radiating circular or oval shaped footprint with a site-line across the water looking towards Mount Stromlo, he prepared working drawings on his return to England.

The time frame for his presence on campus and creating the work on site in 2013 is 6-8 weeks beginning April 3rd 2013. 

2013 Centenary of Canberra Festival

As a more public aspect of the H C Coombs Fellowship, and as a contribution to the Canberra Centenary Festival, Chris Drury has been scheduled to speak at the International Sculpture Symposium being held at the National Gallery of Australia May 10-12, 2013.

The Symposium SCULPTURE: Space and Place, is being convened by the ANU and the National Gallery of Australia as a feature event in the Festival Program. The focus on sculpture celebrates Canberra's public sculpture around the city and the ANU Campus.

The program includes a range of exhibitions at Canberra's public spaces, the School of Art and Drill Hall Galleries, artists in residence, special projects, walks and talks about sculpture in all its forms.
The launch of Drury's sculpture: The Way of Trees, Earth and Water will be a highlight event and included in the Sculpture Walks being organised.

With this new sculpture, the University will have an impressive additional asset to the Campus Art Work Collection and the ANU International Sculpture Park.

It will also represent a significant ANU contribution to the Canberra's Centenary Celebrations.

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