The winner of Sydney’s dramatic Sculpture by the Sea

There was an appropriate amount of controversy over the decision to award the $60,000 annual Sculpture by the Sea to Amercan Peter Lundberg for his work, The Ring. “Looks like a dog turd,” said one observer of the huge bronze work on display on Tamarama Beach (above) beside the highly photogenic We’re fryin’ out here by Andrew Hankin. The exhibition, 109 sculptures displayed along a 2km stretch of magnificent coastline between Bondi Beach and its neighbouring Tamarama, is expected to attract more than 500,000 visitors before it closes on November 9.

The judges, however, obviously thought otherwise and Lundberg, who lives in Vermont, America, was suitably modest in victory: “It’s kind of overwhelming as there is such a tremendous group of sculptors exhibiting this year who are at the top of their game. To be considered among them is an honour in itself; it’s a tremendous honour, there’s some real quality in this exhibition and it gets better every year.” It is the second time that Lundberg has triumphed, his winning 2012 sculpture is on permanent display in the Royal Botanic Gardens which is wonderfully positioned, offering visitors a stunning view of Sydney Harbour. He also has work on display in a winery in the beautiful Margaret River, Western Australia, as well as a number in his home country.

Other main awards and mentorships awarded as part of the Sculpture by the Sea include the Helen Lempriere Scholarships to Jock Clutterbuck for Oceania cartouche (picture right); Elaine Clocherty for Gamma Gamma Storm and Koichi Ishino for Windstone the threshold of consciousness. The Artistic Excellence Program, was awarded to Stephen King for The Folly and The Clitheroe Foundation Emerging Artists Mentor Program to Ayako Saito for Morning Star (below left), Samantha Stephenson for Other and Thomas Quayle (below right) for Comenavadrink and waddayalookinat. One of the greatest attractions of the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition is the number of artists who are happy for the public, particularly children, to interact with their work.