Image above: Nijinsky 2020 steel, painted 195 x 215 x 215 cm. Install view at Sculpture in the Vineyards 2022.
Ron Robertson-Swann’s fabulous sculpture, Nijinsky has been installed at Government House Sydney after having received the inaugural Governor’s Prize in September at Sculpture in the Vineyards 2022.
Offered for the first time this year, the Governor’s Prize chooses one sculpture to be exhibited at the Government House sculpture garden for up to one year after the conclusion of the Festival. The Governor’s prize was initiated after Her Excellency, the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC visited the 2020 exhibition and subsequently accepted an invitation to become Patron of the Wollombi Valley Sculpture Festival.
Nijinsky, seen installed on the grounds of Government House, Sydney.
Robertson-Swann’s painted steel work references the celebrated Russian ballet dancer Nijinsky, often cited as the greatest male dancer of the early 20th century. “When he leaps in the air, there’s a point where he seems to be suspended,” Ron said. “I thought that was a property sculpture could aspire to.”
For the next twelve months, Ron’s winning sculpture will join four other works by NSW-based sculptors proudly participating in Sculptures@theHouse in the grounds of Government House, offering valuable exposure and provenance.
Government House Sydney
December 2022 – December 2023
Ron Robertson-Swann standing near Nijinsky, installed in the grounds of Government House Sydney.