ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Sedge catches the
SEDGEFIELD - Yet another stunning piece of art has been unveiled as part of the ongoing Knysna Art Project, this time in the form of the Lovebug in Sedgefield – a full-size VW Beetle that has been covered in mosaic tiles.
The beautiful art piece is a five-part collaborative effort between Masithandane, the Sedgefield Community Mosaic Project, Visit Knysna, the Knysna Art Society, and Knysna Municipality. The Lovebug was unveiled to a small crowd at the Kingfisher Drive slipway on Saturday 28 August, at just the right time as the ceremony enjoyed a brief break between the rain showers that were on and off throughout the day. The ceremony was opened by children from Masithandane armed with guitars and beautiful voices who performed acoustic versions of Bob Marley's Three Little Birds and The Beatles' Yellow Submarine. Masithandane chair Jacky Weaver was the lead speaker and expressed her joy at the way in which the art projects from Sedgefield and Knysna complement each other.
"The vision of the original Sedgefield Community Mosaic Project dovetails so beautifully with the Knysna Art Project incorporating elements of our natural environment, education, artworks, art routes, and tourism," she said.
Weaver also spoke fondly of the impact the Lovebug will have. "What wonderful gifts the Lovebug brings to Sedgefield - economic opportunity for the many involved in the project and a new Sedgefield Mosaic Route Map," she said.
"You will be the first to see it [Lovebug] today [28 August], the opportunity to take Sedgefield and its beautiful Swartvlei Estuary around the world through selfies taken with the Lovebug and the chance to build relationships with local and international visitors." The Lovebug is the second interactive artwork that has been unveiled as part of the Knysna Art Project and the Knysna Interactive Art Route, after the Brenton Wall of Wings. It also forms part of the Sedgefield Mosaic Art Route which was launched in 2014.
Work on the Lovebug started at the hands of Alistair Fraser, Cord Orford, Mike Louw, and Johannes Pyl whose hard work ensured the structure had a proper foundation and solid floor as well as seating.
From there it changed hands to Christo Pieterse, JP Oosthuizen and Wanda Tekelile, who fixed and prepared the surfaces for the mosaicists with Pieterse seeing to it that the Lovebug received new wheels.
The plaque bearing the name 'Sedgefield 1' which became the car's license plate was designed by Terrance Wilson.
It then came time for the finer details, the mosaicking of the Beetle, to take place. This was done by a team of four phenomenal volunteers who are responsible for so many of the mosaic artworks around Sedgefield - Sophia Nguma, Ricardo Baadjies, Petrus Kiewiets and team leader Hyla Hartlief. The Lovebug will now stand proudly at the Kingfisher Drive for many a year to come, and against the backdrop of the Swartvlei Estuary, will provide the setting for many a stunning selfie.