News from Antone's studio

Antone Bruinsma contemporary stone sculpture

Sculpture Symposium - Bribie Island - November 2007



	Antone, You brought 18 days of great expectations. Every day we watched and waited for your creation to be born and it was to be such a beautiful birth, your Venus was and is magnificent. Congratulations from a friend, who will hear no more those wonderful sounds of labour emanating from Tintookie Park. But your labour of love will remain forever both in the park and in our hearts. "Parting is such sweet sorrow." Kindest regards Peter CassimatiS T/A Chicken Inn, 14 Jacana St, Bribie Island (near the park)

2006 Southern Downs Sculpture Symposium - Flowers for Andrea Robyn and her Friends

Antone created a commemorative sculpture for the Emu Vale community at Warwick at the end of July this year. Andrea Robyn was a baby being flown to Brisbane for medical treatment, when the plane crashed. His sculpture is an abstract piece representing the wildflowers that grow near the scene of the plane crash, which happened on 9 April 1955. It attracted a lot of interest as he carved it over two weeks at Leslie Park in the centre of Warwick and he met many wonderful people there. Antone returned to Emu Vale on 24 August to oversee the installation of his sculpture at a park.

One of those people kindly wrote a few words about his impressions of Antone's work:

"Antone's excellent piece causes me to reflect on the lives of the last inhabitants of Emu Vale and their special relationship with the Emu Creek and its beautiful valley and rolling flood plain. These people were of the Keinjan Tribe and lived, hunted and camped in the valley and alongside the clear waters of the creek.

Antone has captured an expression in stone, which perfectly reflects the serpentine nature creek, the primeval creatures that still inhabit its depths, and I think, the might and majesty of the surrounding mountains."

Thank you, John!

Some images to show you how Antone worked for two weeks to create the sculpture for the community.

Seed Pods for Beaudesert

These sculptures, created with the assistance of the Regional Arts Development Fund and Beaudesert Shire Council and community volunteers, were unveiled on Friday 16 June 2006 in Beaudesert. The Seed Pods represent the new life and growth in Queensland's Hidden Oasis, the Beaudesert Shire.

Exhibition at Cloudehill Gardens, Olinda, in the Dandenongs, Victoria

Antone has several pieces on exhibit at the beautiful Cloudehill Gardens in Olinda Victoria, a short drive from Melbourne. See the Cloudehill website for more information.

Shihmen Reservior International Drift-wood Symposium Taiwan

Antone was invited to Taiwan at the end of last year to participate in a sculpture symposium organised by the Fine Arts Department of Taipei National University of the Arts. Sculpture symposiums are not talkfests - invited artists spend between one and four weeks, on average, creating a sculpture, which is then left in place to enrich the cultural heritage of the host country. It is a great opportunity to exchange practical ideas with other sculptors, make friends with international artists and represent your country.

Antone created "Spirit Boats".

These two sculptures explore humanity’s relationship with nature, through depicting the bridging journeys we make between life and death.
Our own mother’s womb can be said to be a “boat” for our spirit. And the “Birth Spirit Boat” by its own definition implies the impending arrival at a destination after a journey. The fully grown figure is about to emerge and accept responsibility for its important duty – living in harmony with Mother Nature.

During my stay at Shihmen Reservoir, my dreams at night were quite vivid and lucid. I met a “visitor” repeatedly who introduced himself as a young prince from a distant past who did not receive the appropriate funeral rites from his father. The pressing nature of this auspicious spiritual request (symbolized with the second sculpture) surprised and yet humbled me. I sincerely hope my task was adequately fulfilled and gave the prince’s spirit peace.

I felt it appropriate to place these sculptures near the flow of water to symbolize continuity. I would also like to thank Mother Nature for her glorious gifts.

Antone dined in style - lots of food. He needed it - the weather was freezing, coming from a Queensland summer to a Taiwanese winter, winds chilled by the huge Shihmen Reservoir.

Flowers - Roses from Stone

Antone is working on a series of flowers. Here you can see a work in progress. The colour of the stone lent itself to the design. The contrast of the softness of the appearance of a flower and the hardness of the stone is something that draws you to come nearer to integrate your perception of what is and what should be.

Have you seen these stolen sculptures?

These two sculptures were stolen in February 2006 from Antone's sculpture park. The thieves braved barbed wire, snakes and rocky terrain to cart these two 70-80 kilogram sculptures away, in the middle of the night. They had only just been placed in the park the day before after being returned from an exhibition at Cloudehill Gardens in Victoria. If you have seen these sculptures, please contact Antone on 0438 144 269 or the Police at Beenleigh in Queensland.

consultation

Considering using sculpture in your project or environment but don't know where to start?

We can help you with:

choice
suitability of materials
scale
process for commissioning
costings
locating other artists and sculptors, if a different style of work is required (eg. ceramic artists, sculptors in steel etc.)

hiring sculpture for your home or project

If you are selling a property or promoting a development, you may like to consider hiring a sculpture for the site, to assist with presentation. Antone's sculptures can be hired for as little as one week or for longer periods.

If the prospective purchaser or another member of the public decides to purchase the sculpture along with your property, your hire fees will be refunded. However, you are not required to market the sculpture. We do request that a small plaque be displayed with the sculpture with details of the sculpture and Antone's name and contact details.

Have a look at the difference a piece of sculpture can make.

Antone Bruinsma contemporary stone sculpture

Sculpture Symposium - Bribie Island - November 2007