Artist inspired by Dagg
A renowned artist has put his hand up to complete a statue of Kiwi comedy icon Fred Dagg, saying an idea for his interactive sculpture came to him ‘‘almost instantly’’ after reading about calls for a permanent memorial.
Accomplished Wellington sculptor Matt Gauldie said his first thought after seeing a Stuff story about the idea for a sculpture of the character made famous by comedian John Clarke was: ‘‘Why isn’t there one already?’’
The Palmerston North-born comedian died in 2017, aged 68.
Gauldie said he believed a sculpture would be a great addition to the city.
‘‘It’s inspiring to see people reach great heights in their profession coming from places like Palmy.’’
He wouldn’t spill the beans on his design, but hinted it would be more than just a sculpture.
‘‘People want something more as an artwork, to be an iconic destination and a landmark,’’ he said.
Gauldie was keen for artists to put their ideas together and for the public to be involved in a democratic vote on what they would like to see.
Gauldie, a former artist with the New Zealand Defence Force, has been involved in several large-scale public bronze sculptures, including a monument for Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington and a piece to commemorate fallen World War I horses.
He said the idea of doing something fun would make a good break from his war-themed commemorative pieces, and he believed there was room for corporate sponsorship to help fund the artwork.
Palmerston North comedians Nathan Cross and Dylan Stewart have also contacted the city council, keen to take up the challenge of helping raise funds to see the project take off.
Cross said the pair hoped to launch a Givealittle campaignwithin the next week or so as council staff have told Cross that a bronze sculpture may require around $100,000 of funding for work, materials and consents.