Artist Statement

With this piece I have tried to create a shelter, a hide, where you can sit for a while, enjoy the space and take in the view through a narrow aperture. The form is loosely based on Ned Kelly's armour with a touch of Frank Gehry thrown in (think Guggenheim Museum Bilbao). For those not familiar with the Kelly story, he was an Australian outlaw/folk hero who because of poverty and injustice took to robbing banks. For his last stand, a shootout with the police, he made a suit of armour, this iconic image was used many times by the painter Sidney Nolan. The 1,200 shingles were cleaved from oak and chestnut using green woodworking tools. I have enjoyed the exploration of mixing a traditional skill in a contemporary form.