Bronwyn Oliver was an Australian sculptor who was known for her intricate, abstract metal sculptures. Born in Sydney in 1959, Oliver studied at the National Art School and later received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of New South Wales.
Throughout her career, Oliver received numerous awards and grants, and her work was exhibited in galleries and museums both nationally and internationally. She was particularly well-known for her large-scale public sculptures, which could be found in cities across Australia and around the world.
One of Oliver's most notable works is "Snake," a sculpture that was installed at the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney in 2004. The sculpture, which is made of stainless steel and measures over 20 meters in length, consists of a series of interconnected, spiraling forms that evoke the movement of a snake. "Snake" is notable not only for its size and detail, but also for its ability to change with the light and weather, appearing to shimmer and move as the sun moves across the sky.
Another important work by Oliver is "Cloud," a sculpture that was commissioned for the Olympic Boulevard in Sydney for the 2000 Summer Olympics. This sculpture, which is made of aluminum and measures approximately 15 meters in height, consists of a series of interconnected, curving forms that suggest the movement of clouds. "Cloud" is notable for its elegant, flowing lines and its ability to change with the wind, appearing to drift and flow as the air moves around it.
In addition to her public sculptures, Oliver also created a number of smaller, more intimate works. These sculptures, which were often made of bronze or copper, were characterized by their delicate, intricate forms and their subtle, nuanced details.
Throughout her career, Oliver remained dedicated to the exploration of form, line, and space in her work. Her sculptures are notable for their ability to evoke a sense of movement and dynamism, as well as for their ability to engage the viewer's imagination and emotions.
Bronwyn Oliver passed away in 2006, but her work continues to be exhibited and celebrated around the world. Her sculptures are a testament to her dedication to her craft and her ability to create works of art that are both beautiful and thought-provoking.
Books Bronwyn Oliver
It has the delicate, adamantine beauty that characterises many of her pieces, but is also an engineering marvel: 380 kilograms of metal that was delivered on the back of an oversized truck and now hangs from a single specially manufactured rod fixed to the ceiling. She made several statements about their origin, most of which focus open the processes by which they were made. The woman that emerges from this book is intelligent, funny, modest, hard-working, and, in the words of Roslyn Oxley, "never boring". I can claim to take that as a model for a way of thinking. Her work is on a low bench constructed of timber covered with fireproof bricks. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
Light, shadow and movement: The Sculpture of Bronwyn Oliver
She was very private and frequently unsociableāthough remaining intimate with a small number of close and dedicated friendsāand seems to have suffered from an impulse to isolate herself even from those with whom she was most closely connected. The last entry on the spreadsheet where she recorded her purchases was for the fixture, to be attached to the wall of her studio, from which she hung herself. Lamentably, however, none of us can ever remain there for any length of time. In White Pages she wrapped her body, including her arms and legs and head, in bandages, put on a waistcoat and a tie and, reading through a slit like a visor, recited names from the telephone directory as she travelled on the commuter ferry from Kirribilli across the harbour to Circular Quay. Oliver was prolific, she was always working, usually, in the latter part of her career, on commissions, some of which became large and complex public sculptures.
Bronwyn Oliver : Strange Things
How do you get back to Paul Oliver? Oliver was raised in rural Oliver's sculptures are admired for their tactile nature, aesthetics, and technical skills demonstrated in their production. University of New South Wales. The Sydney Morning Herald. What might this other equation be? The Greek concept, kairos, comes to mind: it means timing, the ability to choose the right, the critical, the opportune moment, and was associated with both archery and weaving. The Sydney Morning Herald. In addition, we deal in all types of heritage material, including photographs, manuscripts, ephemera, maps and globes, and fine art. So would the sense that her objects had some kind of life which has since departed; or that they have come and gone from another realm.
Retrieved 31 May 2012. It is the thought of what the gallery is, does and makes possible that occupies my mind in the hours that follow my first experience of the show. He ran back to answer it, spoke briefly to Bronwyn, then returned and cut away the ropes imprisoning her in the phone box; and so let her go. An example of this is her extraordinary decision to divorce, as she put it, her family: country folk from New England, who loved and admired the daughter who refused to see, or even communicate with them, for some years before her death in 2006. They leap off the page into your consciousness and remain there, breeding ancestors as much they may seed descendents. Each work, seemingly inert, draws you near and around and beside: the sculpture as moving image.
