Artist embraces steampunk style
Anorth-western Victorian artist is gearing up for a new Wimmera arts festival in April, constructing an artwork in her signature style.
Nichola Clarke plans to develop a mechanical flower garden within vacant Jellex site at Dimboola, for Wimmera Steampunk Festival on April 23.
Steampunk is a genre-bending collation of Victorian-era style and science-fiction.
The Dimboola festival’s inaugural event, originally scheduled in late 2021 and postponed due to limiting COVID-19 restrictions, will be a chance for visitors to experience themed arts, music and culture gathering of steampunk activities and attractions.
Mrs Clarke said her sculptures represented a vision of a science-fiction, apocalyptic world without humans, where rubbish came alive.
“My work will have a more mechanical theme to its design for the festival,” she said.
“I will be using Victorian-era materials and household machines common during that period, to construct flowers and plants.
“The sculptures are made from lots of little oddities and collectables that are common of steampunk styling. For example, for some of my work I have collected ‘Fossey’s’ gin bottles from a Mildura gin distillery company, because of its late 19th century look.
“The art installation will feature about 20 of these sculptures that I plan to spill onto the new tower park and surrounding nature strips.
“Flora and fauna have always been something I’ve studied closely and I am continually inquisitive and inspired by. Nature is the backbone to my sculptures.”
Festival organiser Chan Uoy said the event would be the first one of its kind in western Victoria.
“We wanted the event to take place after daylight savings ended, when the nights become darker, that way Dimboola’s streets and buildings could really embrace the nineteenth century steampunk aesthetic,” he said.
“People will experience the town and buildings lit up in a steampunk essence, there will be bands playing and a night market, costume exhibits and car shows.
“We will also be making use of the tower park site, where the old Dimboola Hotel stood, and the Star Theatre will premiere Tracey Rigney’s short film about the former Dimboola Hotel.”
Visitors are encouraged to dress-up in the steampunk style that Mr Uoy described as ‘Willy Wonka meets Avatar’.
“The festival’s social-media pages are the best way to stay updated about the event, before more information is released,” he said.