2015 Sculpture at Scenic World Winner

Marrickville artist Elyssa Sykes-Smith has won this year’s $20,000 Scenic World Award, wowing judges with her thought-provoking sculpture ‘A Canopy of Thoughts’.

A dramatic recycled timber installation, the site-specific work enacts the notion of a grasped moment of clarity amongst a haze of uncertainty. Set amongst the ancient rainforest, the canopy only adds another dimension of height to its forest landscape.

The judging panel, Emeritus Professor David Williams AM, curator Anne Loxley, and artist Clara Hali, said the dramatic scale of Sykes-Smith’s artwork is ambitious and lyrical.

“Sykes-Smith’s artwork offers the viewer a dynamic experience which confronts the environment,” they said.

Following the presentation, Sykes-Smith said with the help of her mother and friends, the experience of installing over the five days in the rainforest was pure adventure.

“I have never done a work of this scale or suspended. I knew it was an ambitious idea but I was aware with the skilled installation team led by Richard Harrison, this sculpture would became a reality,” she said.

Finland artist Sandra Nyberg was presented with a highly commended award, for her work ‘Heritage’, also in wood. Both works will be on display among the 31 sculptures on display at Scenic World until 10 May, 2015.

Other highlights of the Sculpture at Scenic World 2015 program include: metal heads – a showcase of a diverse array of metal arts, and Sculpture Otherwise – an exhibition by the participating artists of Sculpture at Scenic World, held at the Blue Mountains Cultrual Centre.

Scenic World 2015
April 15 – May 10

Image: Elyssa Sykes-Smith, A Canopy of Thoughts, timber,
Courtesy the artist and Scenic World