March 03, 2022
Alcoa Aluminium Sculpture Award given to Perth-based artist
Highly regarded Perth-based artist Tim Macfarlane Reid has been given this year’s Alcoa Aluminium Sculpture Award in the 2022 Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe for his three metre wide aluminium work titled Invitation.
Macfarlane Reid’s sculptures combine organic forms in a re-imagining of experiences in ancient landscapes. This year’s artwork invites viewers to share in his experience of landscapes and acts as an invitation to experience the outdoor sculpture exhibition held on the beautiful landscapes of Perth's Cottesloe Beach.
The highly sought-after $10,000 award highlights Alcoa’s continued commitment to supporting artists in Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe that use aluminium in striking and unique ways.
Alcoa Australia President Michael Gollschewski said the company was proud to play a part in making the arts accessible to everyone through its 18-year involvement with the iconic beachside exhibition and in supporting established and emerging artists.
“Aluminium is the world’s most versatile metal,” Mr Gollschewski said. “It is strong, flexible, impermeable, corrosion resistant and 100 per cent recyclable - making it an essential part of our modern, low-carbon world. We are delighted to be able to support artists like Tim in showcasing aluminium in many creative ways and I look forward to seeing Invitation and the other works on Cottesloe Beach.”
Said Macfarlane Reid: “Receiving the Alcoa award has allowed me to explore a new direction in my work. For many years I have been making smaller works in the round that look as though they are cast but are in fact fabricated. Always with the intention of making those models on a full scale, always aware that the cost and materials would make this prohibitive. The Alcoa support has provided me the freedom to explore this new direction on a large scale, to work through the challenges of a new way of creating my work and to have some major ‘ah ha!’ moments as this sculpture becomes a reality. The work is titled Invitation and it has a double meaning – the sculpture has been an invitation for the artist to explore and experiment and an invitation for the viewer to share in that experience. This sponsorship has been pivotal for my art practice and I hope that the Western Australian public enjoy the results.”
The award is part of Alcoa’s long-running support for Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe as a founding and major sponsor of the exhibition. As well as the aluminium award, Alcoa has supported the long-running Alcoa School Education Program providing approximately 2,400 students each year and over 30,000 since its inception in 2005 a backstage pass to the exhibition and artistic process. This year, due to COVID-19 health and safety measures, Alcoa is supporting an exciting online interactive program for school students containing virtual tours, artist-led online workshops and information packs including sculpture-making materials and lesson plans.
Sculpture by the Sea Founding CEO & Artistic Director David Handley AM said: “It is tremendous to be able to support Tim thanks to Alcoa’s ongoing sponsorship. As Alcoa’s 18-year partnership evolves, this is the fourth year Alcoa has funded this significant award for WA artists who work in aluminium. The Award has now become an important part of the structure of support that encourages the sculptors of WA to persevere with their creative but expensive and challenging careers.”
Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe runs from 4 to 21 March 2022.