Image above: Philip Noakes Eclipse I 2019 Britannia silver and sterling silver (1503gms) 30 x 29 x 6 cm and Philip Noakes Eclipse Ombre II 2019 oxidised Britannia silver and sterling silver (938gms) 25 x 24 x 6 cm
Congratulations to Philip Noakes, whose exquisite works ‘Eclipse I’ and ‘Eclipse Ombre II’ have been selected as finalists in the 2021 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize.
Established in 2001, the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize is Australia’s pre-eminent award for small sculpture presented by Woollahra Council. The main award each year is the acquisitive ‘The Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize’ which expands the Council’s permanent public collection. On display all year round for the community to enjoy for free, visitors can discover some of the world’s most exciting contemporary sculptures and often be introduced to the most innovative artists working in the medium. The exhibition will be on view, free to the public, in early 2021 in the new gallery space, Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf. For more information, click here.
‘Eclipse I’ and ‘Eclipse Ombre II’ are two disks that hover like transient moons. One is full and glowing while the other is shrouded in the faltering shadow of an unseen presence. I am intrigued by light and how it can be manipulated to emphasise its movement around forms. I begin by hammering – it all begins with hammering – and gradually raise the vessels, recording the process in a tracery of marks left on the surface. Each is a trap that catches the light, directs it onto the next and creates a cascade that moves us on, revealing both the form and the intricacy of each inflection. Together these objects speak eloquently of their companionship while asserting their place within our expanded universe of objects.’ – Philip Noakes, 2020
These pieces are currently on show in our Sydney gallery as part of Philip’s solo exhibition, ‘Sculptural Silver,’ current until Sunday 14 March, 2021.