Artist creates STUNNING sculpture out of 50,000 plastic lids

A South Fremantle artist has put a new spin on used bottle caps to create a massive artwork for this year’s Sculpture by the Sea.

Deanne Neilson collected more than 50,000 plastic lids to create a 6m-tall artwork inspired by Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai and his woodblock print The Great Wave off Kanagawa.

“At that time, most of the lids I had were a blue colour, so I knew that whatever I wanted to do had to have a sea-related theme,” Neilson said.

“I didn’t want the artwork to be a replica but more a re-imagining of how it might be in this time and place.

“Each lid has to be washed, then I drill four holes into it and then wire it together into a mesh so you can imagine it’s taken a very long time.”

Neilson said the sculpture, set to be unveiled on March 3, was originally planned for last year’s exhibition but a tragic event caused her to postpone the project.

“In November my mum passed away and we were really close so that knocked me around a lot,” she said.

“I thought I would be able to catch up before the exhibition but then COVID hit. Right up until the day before I was going to install it, I thought I was going to make it but in the end, I just couldn’t do it.”

Neilson then changed the name of her sculpture from The Last Wave to Do You Realize, the title of a song by the Flaming Lips that reminded her of her mum.

“The lyrics are about how the sun doesn’t go down and it’s just an illusion caused by the world spinning round and I always think of my mum in that way,” she said.

“Technically her sun is gone now but she’s still with me.”

Sculpture by the Sea founding director David Handley said this year’s exhibition — which returns for its 19th year on the shores of Cottesloe — will include an inaugural appearance by Ukrainian artists.

“We have 70 sculptures that have not been seen in Perth before and there are some really fantastic works that everyone will enjoy,” Mr Handley said.

“The exhibition features a major night-time work from renowned Japanese sculptor Takeshi Tanabe as well as two Ukrainian artists; this is the first time Ukrainian artists have been featured at Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe.

“The Takeshi Tanabe light installation Between Sky and Earth (Exchanging Messages), a light artwork that shines directly upwards 2km into the night sky from the end of the groyne at Cottesloe beach, is going to be very popular and I’m really looking forward to seeing it.

“In collaboration with the Town of Cottesloe, the lights on the south beach and parkland of Cottesloe beach will be switched off at 7.45pm, 8.15pm and 8.45pm each evening for 30 seconds when the light sculpture will be turned on, allowing visitors to watch the speed of light in the pitch black night sky as the artwork travels 2km vertically.”

Sculpture by the Sea is one of Perth’s largest free public events and will run from March 3 to 20.