Bundaberg Region’s newest public art piece, a large silver dragonfly, can now be seen soaring above a roundabout in Bargara Headlands Estate.
‘Gum’mama in Flight’ by artist Kevin Dekker, aka the Metalist, was recently installed at the intersection of Logan Road and Headlands Esplanade in Innes Park.
Bundaberg Regional Council approved the installation of the artwork as part of the Bundaberg Region Public Art Masterplan.
Kevin said the stainless steel figure was inspired by the location which included a walkway through a wetlands area and a regeneration area, Charlotte’s Wood.
“Gum’mama is a dragonfly. This one, I’ll call it a scarlet percher, which is one of the breeds you’ll find common in all of the waterways here, especially here at the Headlands,” Kevin said.
“We did put a set of mating dragonflies in the wetlands, which is just around the bend.
“And I enjoyed that project so much, I thought, well, let’s go for a bigger one.”
Kevin said he was pleased to see the artwork installed after taking it through the public art process.
“What a relief it is to finally see the Gum’mama actually in place,” he said.
“The local residents have really been positive about it.
“They love the nature concept of my art and my sculptures.
“It’s been warmly received already just in the early days.”
‘Gum’mama in Flight’ is part of a broader art strategy for Bargara Headlands Estate led by developer Bill Moorehead and artist Paul Perry.
“Paul is the mosaic artist in Charlotte’s Wood and that’s a walkway that goes through here and has quite a few wonderful mosaics,” Kevin said.
“Paul’s great to work with, he’s been really good at coordinating.
“We can make all the estates and everything, but without the public art, without the green spaces that you see being done here at the Headlands, without that, it’s just a bunch of houses.
“Public art, it puts the fingerprint on it.
“Now it becomes a neighbourhood.”
An exhibition of Kevin’s work, ‘Metal in Motion’, is currently on display at Childers Arts Space until 5 July.
The exhibition highlights Kevin’s use of reclaimed and recycled materials, which he sources from a variety of sources for use in his smaller sculptures as well as public art works like ‘Gum’mama in Flight’.
Kevin’s art practice explores how the inherent strength and solidity of metals and wood can be transformed into fluid and dynamic sculptures.
All artworks in the exhibition are available for purchase.
