Halcyon Days
70cm
Bronze
70 x 31 x 37 cm, on a Corten steel plinth
Limited edition
Exhibited at Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi, 2023
Price, availability and freight on request. 0451 331 333 · sculpture@artpark.com.au
Delivered and installed in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Australia-wide. Plinths and bases · Commission a size or finish
About the work
Relaxed but alert, as if about to stand and dive in, she crouches on her heels and gazes out to sea.
Part of Mela Cooke’s swimmer series, the work was exhibited at Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi, in 2023. At 70 cm on a Corten plinth, it suits a pool surround, beach house, courtyard or interior. Limited edition.
About Mela Cooke
Mela Cooke
Australian Bronze Sculptor,
Mela Cooke
Mela Cooke is a renowned Australian sculptor celebrated for her lifelike and expressive bronze figures. Born in Victoria, Australia, Cooke's artistic journey was nurtured through her education at The University of Melbourne and The University of Queensland.
With a foundation in physiotherapy, Cooke possesses a deep understanding of the human form. This knowledge, combined with her keen eye for detail, allows her to capture the essence of her subjects with remarkable precision. Her sculptures, often inspired by family and friends, are meticulously crafted through a process that involves extensive photography and careful observation of posture and gesture.
Cooke's preference for bronze stems from its inherent beauty and durability. The medium's ability to convey both subtlety and strength aligns perfectly with her artistic vision. She strives to imbue her sculptures with the unique character of each individual, emphasizing the inner qualities that define them.
Cooke's recent focus on "women in action" highlights her fascination with the dynamic energy of athletes. Her swimmers, in particular, reflect her lifelong passion for the sport and her ability to convey the grace and power of human movement.
Mela Cooke's work is showcased in private collections worldwide, including Asia, Europe, the United States, and Australia. Her public sculptures, such as the large bronze figures adorning the streets of Maryborough, Queensland, have become iconic landmarks.
Beyond her large-scale installations, Cooke also creates smaller, intimate bronzes that are perfect for interior spaces. These pieces continue to demonstrate her exceptional skill in capturing the nuances of the human form and the enduring appeal of bronze as an artistic medium.
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Additional Mela Cooke work is available through our sister gallery, SOHO Galleries — view the full collection at https://www.sohogalleries.net/australian-sculptors/mela-cooke-sculpture/
"My sculptures portray the character and beauty of the people in my world." Cooke names Constantin Brancusi and Henry Moore as her strongest influences, for their strong lines and subtle gestures. After working in marble and timber, she now works solely in bronze.
Cooke studied sculpture with Frank Lambert at the Brisbane Institute of Art (1991-93) and in his private classes until 2014, and marble carving with Graham Radcliffe (1998-2000) and Italian sculptor Giovanni Balderi (2000). She was President of Sculptors Queensland in 2015-16 and Vice President from 2017 to 2020.
She has held solo exhibitions in Brisbane, Sydney and Sorrento, including Women in Action at Manyung Gallery (2020), and exhibited at Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi, in 2023.
Twenty-four of her sculptures stand in the centre of Maryborough, and her Dingo Family and Platypus stand in the forecourt of the Hervey Bay Cultural Centre, Queensland.
Awards include the Family Choice Award at the Montalto Sculpture Prize (2018; finalist 2018-2021), first prize for Outdoor Sculpture at the Royal Queensland Exhibition (2018), the George Verine Memorial Prize at the Sculptors Queensland Annual Exhibition (2019), the 3D Award at the Somerset Bendigo Bank Art Award (2019) and the 3D category of the Bundaberg Art Prize (2021). In 2022 she was a selected sculptor at Art in the Vines, Hanging Rock Winery.
Each figure begins in clay. A wax is taken from the clay and coated in a ceramic shell; the wax is melted out and bronze poured in at around 1,200 degrees Celsius. The casting is then sandblasted, refined with a grinder and given a patina applied by hand.
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