Matilda
Commissioned by Tract Consultants for City of Whittlesea
Location: Donnybrook, Victoria, Melbourne
Materials: Mild steel
Matilda is a 5.5-metre entry sculpture developed by David Wood for Tract at Donnybrook.
Inspired by the golden wattle, Acacia pycnantha, its sweeping stem, leaves and clustered yellow blossoms draw on the plant forms and undulating landscape of Melbourne’s northern plains.
The sculpture is formed and fabricated in mild steel. Its surfaces combine a burnished copper appearance, dark verdigris greens and strongly coloured yellow-gold blossoms.
From drawing to fabrication
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.
Matilda is currently being completed for installation.
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