Tag: sculptures

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Human waterfall at Dubai Mall

A black and white photograph of a large waterfall with ten sculptures of humans diving, arms wide open, through the water.

The first time I saw a photograph of the Dubai Mall Waterfall I questioned if the men diving in unison were real people. They are fibreglass sculptures. The waterfall comprises of two large cylindrical walls 30 metres in diameter and 24 metres high. This spans three floors of the mall. Photographing the waterfall I tried not to cut any of the sculptures arms or legs off. This is impossible unless you zoom in on just one or two of them. I wanted to show a wider view as I think this is more dramatic. Adding to the drama is the black and white processing. There isn’t much colour in the sculptures themselves, they are a silver or bronze looking colour.

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Big Salmon Sculpture at Rakaia

A prominent fish sculpture set amidst greenery and trees in a tranquil park environment.

One of the more unexpected things about New Zealand is the big things of New Zealand. Large novelty statues in many of the small towns across the country. Driving south from Christchurch one of the first small towns I drove into was Rakaia. And from State Highway 1 it is impossible to miss this larger than usual salmon. In 1990, the people of Rakaia decided the town needed a memorable icon that would put the town on the map. Plans began for a giant salmon, which would pay homeage to the nearby Rakaia River and its world-class salmon fishery. It was created out of steel, wood and fibreglass by sculpture and bulder Philip Price. The Big Salmon is 11 metres tall.

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Hand Sculpture at Museum of the Future

A large hand sculpture displaying a sign that reads "peace," symbolising harmony and unity in a public space.

Visiting Dubai last year I knew I wanted to go to the Museum of the Future. Jumping out of a taxi I was greeted by this huge 12 metre tall hand sculpture in front of the museum. This is the iconic three-finger salute. A gesture coined by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The salute shows a W for Win, a V for Victory and an L for Love. As you can see the sculpture is reflective chrome. Lots of people were having their photographs taken in front of it. Typically I would wait to get a record of a sculpture without people in the photograph. This time I didn’t wait. Partly because it was very warm outside and partly because the people give the sculpture and museum building behind scale.

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Homestead Entrance Archway

A large metal arch dominates the scene, its robust form and rust coloured surface contrasting with the surrounding white house and landscaped gardens.

This was the most unusual thing I photographed during a recent exploration of Bason Botanic Gardens in Whanganui. This is the entrance to the Homestead garden. This is an English style garden around the Bason Homestead which you can see is the white house framed by the archway. The archway is made from corten steel and was completed in 2015 by Isthmus Group. Engraved in the steel is a quote from one of the gardens founders Stanley Bason: “Through the trouble of this world there still runs a thin stream of serenity for those who seek it.” Having visited Whanganui regularly for the last 3 years I’m sad to say that this was my first visit to these gardens. It won’t be my last as there is so much to see. Bason Botanic Gardens are well worth a visit if you are in Whanganui.