CHRIS Anderson lives on a picturesque rural property north west of Kilmore with his family and from there he creates the most incredible art, some inspired by wedge-tailed eagles nesting nearby.
Anderson is no stranger to regional Victoria, having grown up in Eden Park, his mother, as a wildlife carer shared with him a genuine appreciation of nature.
Working in metals comes easy for Mr Anderson. Previously he was a mechanical engineer and then he completed a PHD in vibration control and acoustics. Later he did research for defence and since officially retiring ten years ago he has connected with his artistic side.
“This is not a business, rehab is a better word than a hobby,” he said.
“It’s about getting in the shed and making stuff.”
Two of Anderson’s most recent sculptures will feature in the Sculptures in the Garden exhibition to be held in Mudgee next month. Anderson said it is one of Australia’s largest annual outdoor art exhibitions and seven years ago, it was his first ‘real’ exhibition.
The sculptures were carefully trucked up on the weekend by a fellow artist and freight operator, Michael Baird.
The horse is made from COR-TEN steel, it’s a weathering steel that will appear to rust up, but it will not actually rust away in the elements, and the sculpture rotates so it can be appreciated at any angle, and base excluded, it weighs under seven kilograms.
The project took two creative months to complete, and Mr Anderson said it was inspired by the Netflix series Sex Education.
“The story spoke to me,” he said.
“The story included an adolescent character who was navigating questions about their identity and sense of belonging, and unexpectedly found comfort and a safe bond through a connection with a horse.”
“I displayed it at Trackside, and it was there for a day before I sold it.
“So, I made another one [for the exhibition].”
The Goose was inspired by the party game, duck, duck, goose and slightly heavier than the horse, he or she also took around two months to make.
“I started at the end tail feather and worked my way forward. A lot of sculptors will build a frame first, I tend to, with stuff this size, to just start and go for it.”
The exhibition attracts a lot of Victorians as it is also held on the same weekend as the Bathurst 1000 motor race.
“Family members who want to get away from the noise, can just go that little bit further to Mudgee to have some artistic endeavours,” Mr Anderson said.
Mr Anderson will not be at the exhibition this year, as the next project taking up space in the workshop is a grand scale sculpture for the Strathbogie Shire— a Platypus and her baby.
The art is sure to become an icon and an inspirational part of Binney Street in Euroa’s shopping precinct.
Tickets for the Sculptures in the Garden exhibition are on sale, please visit sculpturesinthegarden.com.au/
