Patricia Gill, Denmark Bulletin

Zak Launay has won the inaugural Denmark Arts sculpture competition’s big works section with Anemophilous Recyclum, a windbox designed to harvest the energy of winds.

Frank Forte’s work, Obtainium II, of a model motorcycle built from recycled scrap won the small sculpture award.

The windbox is made of metal, wood and glass recycled from ‘bits collected here and there’ and, according to Zak, does what a windbox is supposed to do.

“This is a good one,” Zak said after winning $2000 for his creation.

Harvesting the energy of anabatic (slow winds) and downslope cooled katabatic winds the mechanism could have been an early windbox prototype of the 1930s, according to a filigree ironwork mounted sign.

The sculpture features sundry components such as two whirlybird roof vents, a metal chest for the meeting of the winds, an ornate leadlight door, lamps, and metal and wood scraps to hold the machine together.

And, similarly, for Frank, 40 years of recycling anything into artistic creations has paid off to take the $500 prize.

The veteran of recycled sculpture previously won the most unique barbecue, a competition run by the magazine Better Homes and Gardens, for a barbecue shaped like a vintage car.

His Denmark Arts competition work features river rocks for the motorcycle body with pieces salvaged from a ride-on mower, brass plumbing fittings, spoon ends and even dental mirrors for headlights.

Frank has restored six motorcycles, and won an Italian Bike Show in Perth for a Motoguzzi which was restored from ‘rubbish, basically’.

He took his wife, Belinda, on a ride hitting 140 ‘clicks’ for her to decide that she much preferred horse riding.

He has built a surfing bear, a ‘chaise lounge sort of thing’, a sewing machine with a man driving the sculpture and a work of a diving form with a head made from a shower rose.

“I call that one Thorpy,” Frank said of the piece honouring Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe.

He has even restored an 1890 treadle-operated lathe once used on ships when there was no on-board electricity.

Denmark Arts director Abbie Pedersen said 11 entries had been received in this year’s competition with an elemental theme ‘wind’.

“Some people incorporated it (the wind theme) or let it blow through,” she said.

There are also plans to have ephemeral works in future competitions.

Zak’s work is acquisitive and will be placed somewhere permanently.

A people’s choice award is expected to be announced.

Adrian Baer and Denmark Shire councillor Clare Campbell judged the entries along with Abbie.

Abbie’s chosen practice for a Bachelor of Fine Arts and subsequent Masters degree was recycled sculpture.

This article appeared in the Denmark Bulletin, 5 December 2024.