Forbes Shire Council has lent its support to the Art Society’s sculpture trail, despite misgivings from some about the suitability of the first sculpture for Forbes’ heritage town centre.
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Well-known artists Gillie and Marc have loaned their sculpture ‘Pyramid’ to start a planned sculpture trail that will stretch along the Lachlan - and the Art Society has suggested Albion Park as the best place for it to stand for the year.
‘Pyramid’ features Gillie and Marc’s Dogman and Rabbitgirl characters, which appear in towns and cities all around Australia, forming a human pyramid.
It stands 190cm high and 160cm wide.
Long-term, the aim is to have sculptures along Lake Forbes, winding along the Lachlan River and eventually linking up with the Utes in the Paddock at Ootha.
But the sculpture does not appeal to everyone.
“For this sculpture to go into Albion Park to represent this town … I am against it,” Cr Jeff Nicholson said.
“Our main street is a heritage main street and always has been.”
Council’s director of tourism, community and cultural development Richard Morgan said the contemporary art piece would divide opinion and be a talking point – but that wasn’t a bad thing.
“It will be different for Forbes and a first for the central west,” he said.
Cr Phyllis Miller said Forbes was on the brink of having only the third sculpture trail in Australia and needed to capitalise on the artists’ very generous offer to lend the sculpture for 12 months.
“We need to start creating a heritage that is going to go into the future,” she said.
“This is the start of something big.
“If we don’t do it then someone else will.”
When The Forbes Advocate posted a picture of the Gillie and Marc sculpture on our Facebook page seeking opinion on its proposed positioning in Albion Park, 12 of our 1800-plus followers responded negatively.
Comments included “Much rather the Albion”, “Why don’t we get a BIG Ben (Hall)”.
More on the sculpture trail:
