Cobden Public Art Project

The Cobden Public Art project was completed in October 2016.

The piece is titled “Connection” and was completed by artist Richard Walker from Smoko in Victoria.

The 38 metre high sculpture is on the southern bank of Cobden Lake and is made from Corten steel.

Sculptor Richard Walker said the water bird representation was an obvious reflection of bird life on the lake.

“The contrast of rust and stainless steel makes it stand out and the red gum seating at the base is a place to sit and ponder the sculpture,” he said.

But there is more to this sculpture than meets the eye.

Mr Walker said a common theme that arose during discussions with the steering committee was how well people in the Cobden community work together.

“The community banded together to make the lake area what it is today,” he said.

“I thought it was a really good message – if people work together, then things happen.”

Exploring this idea, he incorporated an old blacksmithing technique of using drifts and wedges to connect two pieces.

“I made the sculpture, cut it in half and then reassembled it using the large stainless steel wedges.”

“The idea is that people are the wedges that hold a community together and if you remove the wedges, things can fall apart,” he said.

Artist link:  Richard Walker