Matilda
Commissioned by Tract Consultants for City of Whittlesea
Location: Donnybrook, Victoria, Melbourne
Materials: Mild steel
Matilda is a 5.5-metre entry sculpture by artist blacksmith and sculptor David Wood, installed at Donnybrook in Melbourne’s north.
Inspired by golden wattle, Acacia pycnantha, the sculpture rises from a sweeping steel stem into large green leaf forms and clustered yellow blossoms. Its form draws on the plant’s distinctive leaves and flowers, as well as the open, undulating landscape of Melbourne’s northern plains.
The sculpture is formed and fabricated in mild steel. Its painted surfaces combine a burnished copper appearance, dark verdigris greens and strongly coloured yellow-gold blossoms.
Final landscaping around the sculpture is still underway, with finished site photographs to follow once the surrounding works are complete.
From drawing to installation
The design developed from close observation of golden wattle, beginning with botanical references, collected leaves and blossoms, drawings and a small metal maquette.
These studies established the movement of the stem, the enclosing leaf forms and the construction of the individual blossoms before fabrication began at full scale in the Bent Metal forge.
The completed sculpture has now been installed at Donnybrook.
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