A 2,000 metre stretch along the Bondi coastline has been transformed into one of the world's largest, free to the public outdoor sculpture exhibitions again.
Sculpture by the Sea is back, featuring 100 artists from around the world – 54 from Australia and 46 international creators.
Among the artists showcasing their work is Julian Pereira. He was working in architecture before deciding to follow his passions of becoming a full-time creative.
“Growing up, I loved being creative but for the longest time, I didn’t consider the creative industries to be a career option,” says Julian who reignited his passion while volunteering at Sculpture by the Sea in his 20’s.
Now 41-years-old, the Sydney artist’s entry into this year’s Sculpture by the Sea could very well change the way you think.
How ‘The Thinker’ came to life
Sitting at a sturdy 1.5 metres tall and 1.4 metres wide and constructed from durable corten steel, Julian has reprised a world-renowned Auguste Rodin sculpture and given it a twist.
Instead of a muscle-toned man, he used the modified international wheelchair accessibility symbol (which you usually find painted on a car space or printed on a plastic sign in blue and white) and manipulated its arms to mimic Rodin’s sculpture, ‘The Thinker’.
Calling his statue by the same name, Julian was spurred on to create something truly thought-provoking after his original proposal for Sculpture by the Sea – an accessible ramp that would help people with disability experience more of the exhibition — was accepted by Sculpture by the Sea judging panel but turned down by Waverley Council.
Inspired by this experience and his journey as someone with a neurodegenerative condition, Julian worked with fellow artist David Da Costa Enes and steel fabricators Dan and Rick to make ‘The Thinker’ a reality.
Dan, who also uses a wheelchair, “likes to say that it's a statue of him,” Julian says with a grin.
"It absolutely resonated with him. It's been great having that connection with someone else that lives that disabled experience being a part of this artwork and the fabrication process."
Using a 3D printer to create early models and working with a steel fabrication group to build his design, Julian says seeing ‘The Thinker’ come to life was like meeting his “sculpture child.”
“I had this thing that I’d conceived, built by the hands of others, and is now in the real world and I can share it with everyone.”
Making a statement with corten steel
Much like Rodin’s original work which shows a man lost in thought, but whose body suggests a capacity for action, Julian’s statue uses the modified international symbol of access purposefully.
The modified symbol of access is a more positive spin on the traditional wheelchair symbol. With the person in the symbol leaning forward and the wheelchair slightly tilted, it suggests purpose, drive and agency compared to the older version.
“Since becoming a wheelchair user, I find that I always face these obstacles and I have to figure out a way to get through it,” Julian shares.
“And that's what ‘The Thinker’ is, it's just a person with a disability that just needs to work a little bit harder to get the same place an able-bodied person does.”
“I believe artists play a key role in advancing social change, they comment on society and they speak of the issues of their time in a way that hits more viscerally or emotionally as opposed to logically.”
“By having ‘The Thinker’ at a major public exhibition like Sculpture by the Sea, we hope to create more public awareness around accessibility, equity and inclusion.”
Sculpture by the Sea is on until 4 November.