The Cheeky Moa by the late Chris Meder
The late Dunedin artist Chris Meder has been honoured at
New Zealand's most prestigious outdoor sculpture awards.
His sculpture Cheeky Moa was selected by Mr Meder's family to
be shown at the 2011 Lexus Headline Sculpture on the Gulf
exhibition, unveiled by Prime Minister John Key at Waiheke
Island on Sunday.
The exhibition was the last major show his work was selected
for and organisers included a recent work as a tribute.
Mr Meder, who died in Dunedin on July 17 last year, just a
week after his 39th birthday, is survived by his partner,
Miriam Christie, and daughter, Olive (then aged 10 days).
Former Otago Polytechnic School of Art lecturer Ali Bramwell
won the $5000 Westpac Headland Selectors Merit Award for her
sculpture Domestic Interdiction.
The two-part work consisted of a steel barrier, resembling a
traffic signal, marked with black and white hazard stripes
and topped with a ferroconcrete cat head.
Ms Bramwell yesterday said from Hamilton she was "thrilled"
about winning the award: "All the flash people were there, so
I was very happy."
The work was inspired by a trip to the demilitarised zone
between North and South Korea in 2006.
"I was playing around with road signs.
"It's a constructive of all the absurd military furniture
there.
"It was like a carnival."
Otago artists Matt Akehurst and Scott Eady also had works
selected for the exhibition.
The $30,000 Lexus Headland Premier Award was won by Denis
O'Connor for his work The Tanglers Cave 2011.
Headland Sculpture on the Gulf runs on Waiheke Island until
February 20.
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