MEET THE MAKER
An industrial designer by training, Anne Levitch established and ran a busy studio specialising in architectural, interior and graphic-design services for 25 years. In 2013 she sold her business and “crossed realms” into art projects, focusing on sculptural and multimedia installations. Anne is one of 100 artists selected to participate in this year’s Sculpture By the Sea, Bondi, the exhibition that transforms Sydney’s Bondi-toTamarama coastal walk into a
2km-long outdoor gallery. Can you talk us through
Reality TV, the work you exhibited on the sand at Tamarama for Sculpture
By The Sea in 2016? It was a
3x3x3m walk-in ‘room’ made from corten steel, with cut-outs in the shape of round picture frames [pictured above]. It was designed as an exploration of how we look at ourselves: centuries ago we would hang pictures of ancestors in our drawing rooms and look at them, but now we hang massive TVs on our living-room walls and look at ourselves. What do you love about Sculpture By The Sea? It makes art accessible to thousands of people who’d never step into an art gallery. The event is incredibly well organised and creates a forum for a large community of artists. What are the challenges in creating works for this event? First, there is the challenge of scale: it has to be substantial in size to warrant attention. And you have to use materials that will withstand the weather and suit the concept. What impact does such a dramatic site have on your design? There are so many potential set-ups for an installation, from cave nooks to rock platforms, open grass, hills and the quintessential beach. This provides stimulation in developing a concept, as the location has a strong impact on how a work is seen by spectators. How exciting is it to know
thousands will view your work? It’s an amazing feeling to see people interacting with a piece that I’ve spent months preparing.
And this year’s work? It’s made from Jesmonite [a durable, non-toxic gypsum composite] and large in scale, allowing people to walk through it, sit on it, lie on it and chat with each other. It explores our sense of community. Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi, runs from October 18 to November 4; sculpturebythesea.com. #