SCULPTURE GARDENS !

We went to the Stoneleigh Sculpture in the Gardens today. Every year the Botanical Gardens displays twenty New Zealand artists and Sophia makes sure we see each and every one - so, I thought you could share our experience...



Here you have 'The Teenage Text Bunny' (we liked the tortoise logo on his shirt) apparently he's a typical teenager, brought to the gardens by his 'olds' but he doesn't want a 'bar' of it! The girls thought it was funny!



Then there was this one called 'Intensified Rain'. It was actually quite pretty when the sun shone through and which gave us some ideas for what to do with our cut-glass dishes..



They didn't seem to realise that they couldn't hide behind it..



but then, neither did I.. this one got two of our votes, as you can tell!



This one, is in typical New Zealand style - it's called 'Water Tanks' (which is exactly what they are!)only, they have somehow become 'art' and cost $15,000 each!



Greg liked this one - I suppose it was functional!



Here we have 'Listen and Learn' and we could hear the bells ringing before we saw it. This was a 2.9 metre high bronze work in the shape of a bell, with bells hanging from it.



Next was slightly unbelievable.. the mound of grass the girls are irreverently standing on was our next sculpture..'The Land is Slowly Liquid' and price was on application!



This is Todd Butterworth's masterpiece 'Wedge,Skew,Splice' which looked a bit like an out-of-kilter Toblerone.



Apparently Mr Butterworth likes bees and repetition - as you can see..



This was different, it's called 'Screen' and, since it was windy while we were admiring it, it was quite spectacular. And it only cost $3000 for your garden!



"It is based on the human figure" says the artist (can you see it?) A snip at $25000!



'Ancestral Light' was made out of macrocarpa, so it looked like stone, or bone - Henry Moore inspired methinks..



Now, here was a weird one.. 'After The Flood'



"The Sacred Grove' was recognisable, and we liked his 'Big Rock Dog' last year..



It was dedicated to Geoff Park, in his memory.



And here you have my least favourite, but then I've never looked at clowns the same again since Stephen King! The sculptor, Richard Wedekind is an "earth scientist" when not sculpting (what is that?) This is $8500 and called 'Bread & Circuses'.



This one was an optical illusion and changed shape as you walked around it.. 'Ascension' got one of our votes. We then picnicked on strawberries and sage paninis stuffed with fresh salad and feta. Nice day..