Forgotten artwork’s fate decided

ARTS: A controversial public art piece that has been sitting undisplayed inside a council shed for two years might finally see the light of day.

Forgotten 2004 is a three-metre high sculpture that uses altered car parts formed into flower heads on steel stems.

It remains undisplayed because council doesn’t have the funds to install it.

It created headlines in March 2014 between the arts community, who believed it to be “innovative” and symbolic, and other members of the community who reportedly viewed it as “junk”.

In January 2014 council’s Public Art Committee recommended acquiring the sculpture, created by former Yass resident and artist Melanie Lyons, for $4950.

It was inspired by the freedom, independence and speed of cars – especially as Yass was the junction of two major highways – and also the tragedy and grief associated with losing a loved one in a road accident on the Barton Highway.

“Cars are a significant part of Australian society, they speak of freedom, independence and speed, and tragically they can also speak of grief,” creator Mel Lyons told council.

Mel Lyons. PHOTO: YASSarts

“Yass was the place of my youth, a highway town where cars rule. The grief was a close friend killed in a car accident. Flowers are a symbol to remind us of those we have lost.”

However, it was assessed as needing further structural strengthening to be erected safely along the Barton Highway, as well as a mass concrete footing to support the structure.

Council’s Director of Planning Chris Berry recently recommended councillors not proceed with the purchase of the 2013 “Sculpture in the Paddock” artwork because of inadequate funds.

He estimated the cost to purchase, install and strengthen the artwork would total $12,000 and a further $500 per annum thereafter to maintain.

But councillors wouldn’t have it, unanimously agreeing to proceed with the purchase based on their previous commitment.

Cr Geoff Frost said it was disappointing the artwork had remained undisplayed for two years and the artist had been kept waiting for so long.

“That’s obviously a lot of years for our artist, who is not a wealthy person and has had this artwork – which has been quite radical – just sitting there not being able to sell it to anybody else.”

Councillor Jasmin Jones said council had entered the agreement with “eyes wide open” knowing there would be installation costs.

“I don’t want to see Forgotten 2004 became Forgotten 2016,” she said.

“We made a commitment with our eyes wide open… everyone around here realised we were purchasing… something and that the artist was not given a brief this was going to be on a highway. So we knew there was going to be some cost involved in installing this.

Former Yass artist Melanie Lyons with her piece Forgotten 2004 made out of used car parts. PHOTO: YASSarts.org

“This sends a very strong message that we care and we aren’t going to forget this issue – there are men and women and families who have lost loved ones on that highway…This is a way for us to go forward.”

Cr David Needham said the whole idea was for council to purchase some public artwork and this piece had been a “stand out” at the time.

“The whole idea was to purchase a piece of artwork. We [The Public Art Committee] looked at them and this one was a stand out.

Because of the nature of this particular artwork, it kind of got hijacked into a Barton Highway campaign to get the Barton Highway duplicated.

“I thought at the time that was a sad development.

“But that’s exactly what’s happened now. Number one the RMS will probably disallow us to erect the said sculpture in a certain location along the Barton Highway anyway, which will defeat the whole purpose of buying the sculpture in the first place.

“My view was let’s buy this piece of artwork in support of the artists of Yass Valley, let’s put it on public exhibition somewhere, and that means, given it needs some structural work done … let’s do it in a location that’s accessible to the community of Yass and one that we can control … let’s get this thing up there.”

Regardless of whether it could be used to make a political statement, council should proceed.

“It sits in a shed until we get our act together to erect it somewhere.”

Another sculpture by Mel Lyons, Untitled, from last year’s Sculpture in the Paddock exhibition. PHOTO: YASSarts

Cr Ann Daniel added, “If this sculpture was to be erected on a part of the Barton Highway which is due to be a part of the duplication of the highway, the government could well get rid of this sculpture by broadening the Barton Highway!”

Cr Greg Butler said, “Even though I am not that keen on these sorts of things, I think council should proceed with this.

“I just wonder, given that it’s a work of art … if it’s erected without too much reinforcement and does happen to fall over, that’s a work of art in itself!”

Cr Jones suggested the NRMA be approached to help with funds, as they rated the Barton as one of the worst national roadways. Alternatively, funding could be sourced from the tourism or road safety budget, or possibly through the Southern Phone Community Grants Program.