Sculpture Featured In Forecourt

May 4, 2018

Visitors to the Town Hall Forecourt in Kingaroy will notice a new steel column has sprung up near the main entrance to the area.

“Postcards From The South Burnett” is an award-winning artwork from the inaugural Kingaroy Sculpture Prize, which was held in March last year.

Nanango artist Ina Patterson and her adult son Liam Hair created the piece, which won a $2000 prize.

“It was a great opportunity to work with my son in a creative project, one which I will cherish for the rest of my life,” Ina said.

She usually works with watercolours, so steel was a new experience!

“We started with a medium of raw cold-rolled 3mm thick steel which I used as my canvas,” Ina said.

“I laid out each panel and transposed stylised designs in both a positive and negative cut pattern for my son to later follow.”

Liam is a welder, which came in handy when it came to plasma cutting out the designs and fitting together the final work.

The panels – or “postcards” – feature peanut bushes, corn, wheat, bunya nuts, grapes, sunflowers, a windmill, pigs, and a tractor ploughing the red earth of the Kingaroy region.

The top of the column features a map of the South Burnett showing the major towns.

“We chose iconic images of the South Burnett, images that would immediately identify this region and its unique heritage,” Ina said.

After the panels were cut out and welded together, they were “speed-rusted” using a special treatment.

“The rusted facade was a critical design point as it ties the sculpture to the red soil of the Kingaroy landscape and its surrounds.

“Once cut, welded and rusted, a textured aluminium backing was added to make the designs pop.”

South Burnett Regional Council workers bolted the sculpture into place on Thursday.

“I am extremely happy that this artwork can now be shared by the community of the South Burnett,” an emotional Ina told southburnett.com.au

• Related article: Surreal Sculpture Wins $7000 Prize

  Arts, Council