Sculpture for Clyde winner 'Weed' added to Batemans Bay's sculpture walk

Bega sculptor Richard Moffatt's rusted 2017 sculpture, Weed was installed at the corner of Beach Road and Bavarde Avenue, just metres away from Batemans Bay's other notable permanent sculptures including Fracture II and Jesse Graham's Pelicant.

Mayor Mathew Hatcher marked the latest addition at a ceremony with chamber representatives on Thursday, November 20.

Weed secured the $60,000 acquisitive prize in the 2023 Sculpture for Clyde exhibition after impressing judges on the Batemans Bay foreshore.

The sculpture is well-known by many Far South Coast residents who drove past the sculpture for years as it rusted to a deep brown hue on Mr Moffatt's property at the Jellat flats near Bega.

"That big twisty pipe sculpture that won the prize, I put it there [for a couple of years] basically to rust. I built it and I need it [to rust]," Mr Moffatt said, "And all the different grind marks, weld marks, all rust and it becomes a consistent patina".

Cr Hatcher said it was unfortunate Mr Moffatt could not attend the ceremony.

"We can assure him this piece of striking art is a wonderful addition to the sculpture walk and the Bay's landscape," Cr Hatcher said.

"The Sculpture for Clyde Committee have gifted our community another amazing sculpture and our sculpture walk is really starting to rival some of the best in the world."

In 2024, the winner of the Sculpture for Clyde acquisitive prize will receive $100,000, making the five-year-old exhibition's prize offerings on par with the Archibald Prize and Sculpture by the Sea in Bondi.

Chamber president and Sculpture for Clyde committee member David MacLachlan said Weed is an impressive addition to the sculpture walk.

"We thank everyone who got behind this. No public money is used for the award, rather the sculptures are acquired using sponsorships and event-generated income," he said.

"The aesthetic appeal of Weed adds to the visual and online appeal of the entire sculpture walk and will be a great addition to the cultural landscape of [the] Eurobodalla Shire."

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