OBERON sculptor Harrie Fasher has created her most ambitious work to date, a three metre high, 700 kilogram piece called Which Way Forward which will feature in this year’s Sculpture by the Sea, at Bondi.
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Each year Bondi’s stunning coastline is transformed into a spectacular outdoor sculpture exhibition which attracts around 500,000 visitors annually.
Which way is forward, is a larger than life double-headed rocking horse, made in Ms Fasher’s signature style of three dimensional metal line drawings, constructed from steel rod.
“It’s an entertaining look at the way we engage with life in contemporary society,” she said.
“One side depicts the horse – elegant, powerful and controlled, whilst its opposing side is captured mid gallop.”
She said the work asks – Is it best to attack life full throttle, or with control and precision? Can we maintain one of these attitudes, or do we oscillate between them as we navigate the complexities of modern life?”
Working across the disciplines of sculpture, drawing and installation, Ms Fasher’s art utilises the equine form as a metaphor for human struggles – exploring the horse and its relationship to humans on a physical, historical and mythological level.
The sculptor’s concept started more than six months ago, with the help of her assistants, Nicole O’Regan, a steel fabricator and Heather Salmon, Ms Fasher’s studio apprentice, who cut and prepared nearly every piece of steel used in the sculpture. Ms Fasher’s neighbour Geoff Salmon assisted building the concrete base and travelling crate for the work.
Ms Fasher said the project would not have been possible if it wasn’t for the support she received from Alan Wilding from Metaland, Kelso.
Mr Wilder said he was happy to support a local artist, and will also assist in transporting the sculpture to Sydney.
“We had the base of the rocker rolled for Harrie and supplied large bits of steel. This is the first time I’ve helped make a giant metal horse come to life,” he said.
Ms Fasher graduated with honours from the National Art School, Sydney in 2010. During her studies she was awarded the 2009 Julian Beaumont Sculpture Prize and the Bird Holcomb Foundation Scholarship in 2010.
Represented by Maunsell Wickes Gallery in Sydney, Ms Fasher has also participated in national and international residencies, including the Baer Art Centre Residency in Iceland in 2012 and Bathurst Regional Art Gallery’s Hill End Residency in 2013.
In 2013, Ms Fasher travelled to the United Kingdom to exhibit with Arts Out West and to undertake an artist in residency at the Butley Mills Bronze Foundry.
This year she also designed and produced all the horse and human forms for Spirited: The Horse in Australia exhibition, which is currently on show at the National Museum of Australia, Canberra.
The 18th annual Sculpture by the Sea exhibition runs October 23 to November 9 along the Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk.