Meccano Caravan Bolts Off With Helen Lempriere Award

Sydney Morning Herald

Thursday February 28, 2008

Richard Jinman

A SCULPTURE inspired by a caravan built by Albert Tucker in his Paris hotel room has won has won this year's $115,000 Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award.

L'Archeveche by the Tasmanian artist Bob Jenyns, is two-thirds the size of Tucker's mobile home and made from large Meccano-like pieces of powder-coated aluminum. Jenyns spent two months making the work, which comes complete with a small chair and table.

Jenyns was inspired after seeing pictures of Tucker's caravan which the Melbourne artist built in his hotel room, lowered to the street in pieces, reassembled and moved to the banks of the Seine. He used it to tour France.

Jenyns decided to use custom-made Meccano pieces (each one is seven times larger than a genuine piece of Meccano) because the children's construction kit was part of his childhood and it enabled him to disassemble the caravan, put it in the boot of his car and take the ferry to Melbourne.

The judges of the nation's top sculpture prize said Jenyns's caravan had won the award because they were entranced by "its apparent child-like joyfulness and whimsical qualities."

"L'Archeveche is a lyrical piece that reveals resonance on several levels from the toy-like construction and child-like optimism to the poignancy of the lonely traveller," said Alan Dodge, the chairman of the judging panel. "This poetic work speaks to both the child and adult experience."

Jenyns, 64, will receive $80,000 in cash and a $35,000 development package. He intends to use the prize money to exhibit his works in Europe.

Asked how he would celebrate his win, Jenyns said: "I'll probably have a beer with friends. I won't get drunk and disorderly, I'm too old for that."

The judges gave three highly commended awards to Kirsteen Pieterse of Sydney for Fossil, Guy Bottroff of Adelaide for A Model Family (MCMLVI) and Arthur Wicks of Sydney for Premonitions of Conflict. Each artist will receive $3,000. Bottroff also received the $1,000 Encouragement Award.

Jenyns's work will become part of the Lempriere Collection and will be permanently exhibited in Victoria's Werribee Park Sculpture Walk alongside previous winners.

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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