Wanganui Sculpture

New Sculpture for Whanganui

Its official that our sculpture will remain in Whanganui. Through a lengthy process with the Wanganui District Council we have signed a contract for purchase.

I have driven by this at least 10 times over the weekend
and it still moves me. Even if I am a bit sorely after the Council opening Event
at the Sarjeant Gallery on Friday night and the Glass opening Saturday night.
Was somewhat disappointed that the other competing artists didn't turn up.
What is that all about?
Anyway.....its a waiting game now and we will find out on 25th September
who wins the $50,000 and who wins the Peoples Choice Award $25,000.
So if you get a chance head on down and see the sculpture and vote for us.
Voting forms are available from Wanganui Vet Services (across the road) and
Wanganui District Council.

Final Day of Sculpture installation

What a start of the day bless the rain. Here we are siting the base stone.

Getting truck into position.

Oh my goodness I can't look. Glad my mate had my camera.

In the air it goes the first of the standing stones.

PHEW!!

And now for standing stone number 2.

Triple PHEW!! This is the first time both stones are connected to the base.

Off it goes. We had an issue with the base not lining up.

So we put the standing stone back on the track for a spell.

This time? Fingers Crossed.
AND success yippy.

On goes the stainless steel top brace. This is to hold the stones at that level and support for the waka. Yeap.

Up in the air 6 tons of stone sculpture. We had to remove for a spell to make adjustments on the holes in the concrete plinth. It seems that with all my measurements and planing was so spot on that we had to make more clearance so it would glide in easier.

And there it stands. After a wee spell a warm shower and dry clothes we all meet back up to install the Waka and the sun came out NICE.
The sculpture is titled "From the Mountain to the Sea"
A emotional moment

Day 1 installing the Sculpture.

Nicked named the "Forever Stone" as this stone had taken a few weekends of hard ache and diamonds blades to make. this is over 2 ton of grey andisite base stone being unloaded by the site of installation.

Finding the Rock

Kerry and Max on our find.

On the 5th June 2010 Kerry McDonnell, Max Cody and I Mikel Durel Browne ventured out onto a property close to Mount Ruapehu to hunt for a special rock. It is hard to say when this piece of andesite was formed. During a recent search on the internet I have discovered the Ruapehu was formed some 250,000 years ago. It seems that either way the final form of the rocks we had looked at had been shaped by glacial movement during the ice ages or constant movement down giant rivers. ???? Without expensive carbon dating on the rock in question we will never know. I will research further into this.

Capturing the Rock

There it waits

Loader and monster

Tex the farmer giving the monster a last hug goodbye.

Mt Taranaki on the road to Ohakune.

Finally in the yard of Timber and Stone Raetihi.

Kerry holding the monster down

Max called me on the evening of 10th July to say the rock is sitting on the farm track awaiting pick up at 8am. Next day at 6am Kerry and I were on the road negotiating the frosty Parapara Highway. First stop Max's Timber and Stone in Raetihi then onto the farm of Tex. There it sat the like a silent monster awaiting his chains on the frost covered ground. 8 tons (close estimate) of volcanic rock that had been spat out during the faraway time when New Zealand was being formed. So with precision farm machinery we maneuvered the 8 ton Monster onto the back of a truck then traveled onto Raetihi.

The First Cut

On the weekend of the 17 July Kerry and I head back up to Raetihi to participate in the first cutting of the rock.

Another Cut

Well that's me tapping the guide. It was a bit tight and a wet job to do but we persevered. It wasn't until the next weekend that we removed the guard to make the job easier.

Moving The Stone

Dragging The Stone

Rolling The Stone

Pushing The Stone

Well this is part of the process and every part needs careful planing and it is a nice break from the scream of the blades.

The Other Side

More Cutting. This time its the other side and it seem to happen faster than the cutting last weekend.

Spinning The Stone. Well I could have said spinning the rock but stone sounds better. Anyway, this time we brought in Max's Hiab Truck. It was a struggle and the weight meter was of the scale. We estimate the this now weighs over 3.5 tons. Exciting stuff.

4th The Last of the Major Cuts 25th July

Lining up the 4th The Last of the Major Cuts

4th The Last Cut. What and effort to get to here and all done mainly during the weekends. The next post will be in a few days and will show some stills instead of video. This coming weekend we will be cutting the beast in half, straight down through the guts from end to end 2.5 meters either side.

31 July

A big cut through the guts.
This was our mission on the 31st July and we certainly achieved it.

And then there were TWO

Kerry and Max leveling up the stone

Oh the shine. Mikel and Max discussing the pro and cons of life as a rock. Well something like that I don't actually remember but it must have be technical.

NICE! one of the sections.

Coming soon will be the images of the final design so keep guessing as it won't be until the 18th of September when you do know and will be unveiled on the Whanganui River banks with 3 other sculpture from other artists.