The Association of Sculptors of Victoria is an inclusive, not-for-profit collective of contemporary artists whose purpose is to inspire,stimulate and advance the appreciation, creation, and exploration of three-dimensional art in society.

President’s Message March 2008

A Breath of Fresh Air
Noise from the traffic pounded my ears, heat from the pavement burned my feet and the sun’s rays bombarded my head. As the door of the gallery closed behind me my skin rippled to the pleasurable shock of the cold air. I had plunged naked into cold water. Melbourne streets on a hot summer’s day are not the most sublime of places but here in this sanctuary serenity reigned.


My watery feeling was confirmed and justified when I saw the green, organic, marinelike objects. There must have been about a dozen or more each on a substantial white plinth arranged spaciously within the generously proportioned room. The plain white walls were free of adornment, refreshing for a sculpture exhibition in a commercial gallery. Usually these galleries feel the need, if only commercially, to cover the walls with paintings thus detracting from and
distracting to the sculpture. Here at Australian Art Resources in City Road, Melbourne sculpture is taken seriously and given its due. ‘We like to let the sculptures breathe’, the attendant told me; a sentiment I could relate to and for which I inwardly congratulated her.

This was the Flugelman exhibition; a rarity in Melbourne, Bert being a Sydneysider. His last exhibition here was in 2002.

His art career has spanned most of his 85 year lifetime and it shows. Each piece, of domestic table-top size and mounted on a white marble slab, exuded the intellectual distillation and technical mastery achieved only with the long passage of time. These are the works of a master of his art.

From a distance the unity of this collection of organic green forms is striking and unusual. Not that this has been achieved by repetition or similarity but by a close attention to the idea of theme, several pieces uniquely different in form but together forming a body of work unmistakeably united in their common aesthetic. Made from a simple material, thin copper sheet; constructed with a simple technique, soldering or perhaps brazing, and finished unpretentiously with a green patina, these sculptures are a testimony to all that sculpture aspires to, a manifestation of human understanding of the world.

Simple forms such as these often look spare, hurried in the making and sometimes unfinished as though the sculptor’s idea faded part way through the making; but not these. As a group they are impressive, and individually, and this is the test, each of these works stands alone at its own pinnacle of artistic achievement.


I inspected each work closely looking for, dare I say it, the flaw, deliberately put there, as by the old, Persian carpet weavers because only god can make something perfect; but I found none. Aesthetically and technically this body of work is perfect. McClelland gallery bought one; they must have been tempted to buy the lot.

The next show at Art Resources is the work of Robert Hague; but that’s another kettle of fish.
John Wooller, President

ASV Diary Dates

● Preview and Prize Presentation for MIF&GS Wednesday 2nd April. RSVP 9857 9153
● Wednesday 2nd to Sunday 5th April Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show
● There is no April monthly meeting
● Melbourne Prize for Urban Sculpture entries close 9th May
● Sunday 18th May ASV monthly meeting - hosted by Jan and John Wooller, this picnic meeting is the perfect opportunity for country members to join us.
● Wednesday 11th June ASV monthly meeting at the Hawthorn Community Arts Room at 7:30pm. Richard Granville Smith will talk about his development into graphite sculpture
● 30th June ASV membership renewals due.

March Meeting

About a dozen enthusiastic members joined Rudi Jass, one of our professional members, at his studio in Bayswater recently. Rudi’s more recent work will be familiar to most people; stainless steel and Corten pieces on a human scale. They can be found in many gardens around Melbourne and further afield. Some of these types of works we saw in his studio, either waiting to be taken to a show or a commissioner, or under construction. One we will all be able to see at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.

Rudi perched on a stool and in his quiet unassuming manner told us of his early beginnings in sculpture; how he was asked to make a candlestick for a friend. Then there were more candlesticks. These became coffee tables and these became water features. The magazine Home and Garden and the television program Burke’s Backyard played a role in Rudi’s early development after he sent them pictures of a water feature. This led to Channel Nine making a feature of him resulting in an avalanche of phone calls from prospective clients.

He informed us that sculpture, as such, was not on the agenda until more recently and now, as we all know, that’s pretty much what he does. They do seem to be getting bigger though; one in his studio/factory that he bought not that many years ago stands about four metres high, a commission for a developer.

I have to say that I have never seen such a tidy studio; and it’s like that normally, without visitors. You get the feeling that nothing fazes Rudi, his confidence in himself and his work is justified. The state of his studio reflects the man; quiet, serene, tidy, unassuming, unpretentious and with a meticulous, some would say obsessive, attention to detail. With his large studio and many tools and machines, Rudi seems well set for the future, a future we all anticipate with great interest.

Thank you, Rudi, for sharing your studio and your thoughts with us; a most enjoyable and informative evening.

John Wooller

Melbourne Prize for Urban Sculpture 2008

entries now open - in fact posted to all members either with this newsletter or at the same time - depending on whether we normally email you or post to you.
Entries in the Melbourne Prize for Urban Sculpture 2008 are now open. Valued at $60,000 plus and open to residents of Victoria, the prize will recognize and reward excellence and talent in urban
sculpture.
For an entry form please visit
www.melbourneprizetrust.org
or call the Melbourne Prize Trust on (03) 9650 8800 for a copy to be mailed to you.
Entries open 17 March and close on 9 May 2008.

2008 ANNUAL EXHIBITION AT MONTSALVAT and MIF&GS

Please note that the dates this year are:
August 31st through to October 5th
Please be aware that it is earlier this year!
Ideas need to be flowing and planning needs to be in full swing.
The two categories will be entries for the William Hoggan Thomas for sculptors with more than ten years experience – and this year – the Andor Meszaros Prize for sculptors with up to ten years experience.
The Andor Meszaros Prize is open to non-members. It is an opportunity for young sculptors to exhibit their work and receive a $1,000 cash prize, a Meszaros Medallion , and a year’s free membership of the Association.

We will keep you posted – The Annual Triumverate

Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show

Carlton Gardens, Nicholson Street, Melbourne

April 2 – 6. 9am-5pm

Pictured are examples of this year's entries by some of our members - Rod Sanders, Rudi Jass, John Wooller and Gillian Govan

Invitations to the exhibition and to the prize presentation have been posted to all members. Do come and celebrate the work of our exhibitors.

Contempora 2008 - Sculpture at Docklands

www.contempora2.com.au/
Docklands is big, bright and new and everything there is designed to compete for your attention. The show is well worth a visit, and you can judge for yourself how well the work sits in this manufactured environment. Contrast this with the motor show - open the first weekend of Contempora's run - where BMW isolated its show pieces in great pavilions of white, and lit them with all the theatre they can muster.

Welcome to Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2008


We are pleased to write to you introducing the 12th annual Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi which is being held from 16 October - 2 November 2008. Sculpture by the Sea is the largest and most popular sculpture exhibition in Australia, staged over 3 weeks along 2km of the spectacular Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk in Sydney. The exhibition sites over 100 sculptures from Australian and overseas artists with an estimated 500,000 visitors and generates significant sculpture sales. We are also pleased to announce the annual Sculpture by the Sea Conference "Sculpture in Public Space "will be held at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney on 16 October.
As we begin the call for artists' submissions for our 2008 Bondi exhibition, We are writing with the hope that you may be able to inform your contacts, members or students about the exhibition and conference.
Artists are invited to submit proposals or completed works for pre-selection.
Please visit our website www.sculpturebythesea.com to download the Application & Entry Form which can be found on our homepage and under the "downloads" tab.
The Application and Entry Form outlines artist subsidies and following are the awards and subsidies confirmed to date:
· The Sculpture by the Sea Prize of $30,000 (non acquisitive);
· All artists who do not secure at least $2,000 from Sculpture by the Sea in the form of either: sales, prizes; or subsidies will receive the amount necessary to ensure they receive at least $2,000 towards their costs;
· The Clitheroe Foundation Mentor Program of $6,500 for each of 3 selected emerging Australian artists and $2,500 for each of their mentors;
· 4 subsidies of $3,000 for artists of site specific sculptures that by their nature are unlikely to be sold;
· Return economy class airfares to Sydney for 8 overseas artists;
· Return economy class airfares to Sydney for 8 interstate artists; and
· Material sponsorship for selected artists including aluminium, plasma or oxycut sheet metal.
Submissions should be sent to:
Sculpture by the Sea, PO Box 300, Surry Hills, NSW 2010 by 7 April 2008. Please note, the dates for selected artists to attend preliminary site meetings has been incorrectly printed on Application and Entry Form and should read: Thursday 1 May; Friday 2 May; and Saturday 3 May, 2008.
If you have any questions regarding the enclosed information or would like additional forms mailed out to you please contact
info@sculpturebythesea.com
or call + 61 2 8399 0233.

2020 Summit

2020 Summit: http://www.australia2020.gov.au/
The last Executive Meeting recorded a discussion on the 2020 Summit. It seems a pity to let the opportunity to consult go without responding. Assistance would be appreciated, particularly ideas for developing a balanced approach to artistic development in Australia.
The Submission is due April 9 and I will consolidate any views received by others on the Committee by 5.00 pm 4 April for submission on behalf of the ASV in consultation with John & Jenny.
Geoff Williams Telephone 03 9670 0824 (W)
Vice President and Minutes Secretary
Association of Sculptors of Victoria Inc

Abbotsford Convent is Four!

The Convent Cornucopia
Please consider yourself cordially invited to the Abbotsford Convent’s Cornucopia. If there's only one event on your dance card this Autumn then the Convent Cornucopia is definitely the one.
Because fourth anniversaries are represented with fruit and flowers, The Convent Cornucopia will be a fantastically flowery and fruity event, with burlesque style festivities, cabaret entertainers, acappella performances, free flowing drinks and fabulous food.
Dress: Lounge suited luxe OR frocked up fashionista
Featuring deejay Fiona Scott-Norman
Date: 24th Apr 08
Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Venue: Rosina
The Abbotsford Convent
1 St Heliers St
Abbotsford VIC 3067
Tickets: $80 per person or $70 per person for groups of 4 or more.
Enquiries: Enquiries and bookings on 9415 3600 or
email info@abbotsfordconvent.com.au
web www.abbotsfordconvent.com.au/whatson/events/the_convent_cornucopia

News from International Specialized Skills Institute

About ISS Institute
We know that Australia's economic future is reliant upon high level skills and knowledge, underpinned by design and innovation. Since 1989 International Specialised Skills Institute Inc. (ISS Institute), an independent, national organisation, has provided opportunities for Australian industry and commerce to gain best-in-the-world skills and experience in traditional and leading-edge technology, design, innovation and management.
We identify skill deficiencies through our market research, then fill them through our Overseas Skill Acquisition Plan (Fellowship Program) and consultancy services.
Carolynne Bourne AM, ISS Institute, CEO, approach links all the key factors together:
skills + knowledge + good design + innovation + communication = competitive edge • good business

Do you work in any of these Industries?
Applications are invited in any of the following industries and occupational sectors:

Heritage Industry

• Building trades
• Maritime heritage
• Moveable objects
• Gardens and trees
• Other

Environment Industry

• Alternative energy
• Building and construction
• Environmental design
• Resources such as water, land
• Value adding to regional produce
• Other

Submissions in other industries will not be considered.

Closing Date
Applications to be received no later than Monday 30th June 2008, 4pm at
the ISS Institute office.

We are here to Help

Whether you have had previous experience in preparing submissions and require more information, or never applied for any grant or fellowship before, we are here to assist you in the preparation of your submission where possible.
The Fellowship Guidelines & FAQ sets out the nature, scope and criteria for the overseas Fellowship Program.
Winners of past Fellowships have given us permission to make their applications available to you - to use as inspiration and as a reference as to what is required.
Call and we'll send them to you.
P (03) 9882 0055
F (03) 9882 9866
E issi.ceo@pacific.net.au
W www.issinstitute.org.au

Members' News



Bjorn Holm has placed two works at Qdos gallery in Lorne recently. Time for a trip to the coast?

NAVA discussions with the New Federal Government

Abridged from the NAVA newsletter
In early March Tamara Winikoff met with the Arts Minister Peter Garrett and his adviser Andrew Palfreyman to discuss a number of arts policy issues.
●Innovation Inquiry and the desire of the arts sector to be recognised as integral within both the innovation and creative industries agendas.
●proposed new Innovation and Creative industries Centre, fostering artists' professional development and cross disciplinary collaboration, supporting their innovative R & D activity, linking them with industry and facilitating their networking and exposure nationally and internationally.
●the difficulty being experienced by smaller organisations in being able to afford to keep up with the pace of technological change. A recommendation that a study be conducted to assess options for assistance.
●progress the introduction of a Resale Royalty regime in Australia. NAVA has been a long-term campaigner for this right for artists.
●National Review of Visual Education and the Visual Education Roundtable, a representative group convened by NAVA which has formed around the effort to see visual education well taught in schools as an integrated part of the curriculum K - 10.
●Indigenous Australian Art Commercial Code of Conduct and the associated Standards and Ethical Trade Strategies documents.
●some other issues which NAVA hopes to take up at a later date:
sedition law, ways to further stimulate artists' income generation including Labor's ArtStart social security policies, artists fees, various areas of tax policy, copyright reform in relation to public sculpture and setting a long term sustainable funding benchmark for this sector.
* NAVA's Innovation Inquiry submission will require help from NAVA's members within the next three weeks. If you believe either you or someone you know about is breaking new ground, undertaking what could be described as R & D, or
working across disciplines in new ways, or pioneering new territory in setting up an enterprise, or working in non-traditional fields, please send us a brief description for inclusion in NAVA's submission to merrilee@visualarts.net.au.

The full report from NAVA (
National Association for the Visual Arts) can be read in their most recent email newsletter sent out to members. NAVA news can also be read online at www.visualarts.net.au.

New Member

This month the ASV welcomes Paul O'Connor.

Stolen Sculpture



Hi Everybody,
I just like to let you know that my sculpture I was exhibiting at Contempora 2 at Docklands was stolen last night.
If you see or hear anything, please let me know.
Regards Rudi

Melbourne Prize for Urban Sculpture 2008 – entries open

The Melbourne Prize for Urban Sculpture 2008, valued at $60,000 plus, will recognize and reward excellence and talent in urban sculpture. Entries open on 17 March and close on 9 May. For an entry form please visit www.melbourneprizetrust.org or call (03) 9650 8800.