{"id":1221,"date":"2021-10-16T09:16:52","date_gmt":"2021-10-16T09:16:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/themccorrycollection.com\/tmc\/db\/?p=1221"},"modified":"2021-10-22T13:27:54","modified_gmt":"2021-10-22T13:27:54","slug":"stonnington-city-sculpture-the-sun-and-the-moon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themccorrycollection.com\/tmc\/db\/stonnington-city-sculpture-the-sun-and-the-moon\/","title":{"rendered":"Stonnington City Sculpture “The Sun And The Moon”."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

On the corner of High Street and Glenferrie Roads in Malvern stands The Sun & the Moon Sculpture, by Melbourne avant-garde artist Paul Juraszek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>
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It consists of two prominent figures, a male and female, respectively, with their heads towards each other engaged in symbolic posturing.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The sculpture has been an artistic landmark in Malvern since the late 1980s when it was commissioned by the City of Malvern (the now newly created Stonnington City Council); with the assistance of the Visual Arts\/Crafts Board of the Australia Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>
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A surrealist work and one of the first public art sculptures in Melbourne to be widely regarded as ‘post-modern’, the sculpture paved the way for many other cutting edge contemporary public artworks.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Cast in bronze and installed in 1989, the figures are proud and strong and reference ancient mythology and cosmology. Sending at the time a positive statement for what the new Australian Artistic identity might look like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Controversy.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The sculpture artwork was seen as provocative and clearly unorthodox, it generated much debate and controversy receiving favorable press coverage and public comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Criticized from the get-go, the council’s decision to commission the ambitious work was a bold move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The council vision at the time was to make Malvern a more vibrant cosmopolitan city attracting tourists and business visitors.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

But not all shared their enthusiasm; churches voiced their disapproval and viewed the work as satanic; others interpreted the work as glorifying pagan symbolism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, residents from the area deemed the artwork as unsuitable for a city like Malvern; and objected to its “lack of taste” and its offensive nudity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Hindsight.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

However, in defense of the work, generations since have described the work as “nothing short of genius”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sculpture has become part of the Malvern Business and Residential landscape, bringing postmodernism to a community swamped in its antiquity past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>
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Many questions still beg, was it all for naught or have this artistic expression proved itself over the test of time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The NGV at the time indeed praised the council for their “sense of adventure”, and in 1994 the sculptures were placed on the National Trust Registry<\/a>, citing the sculpture is significant for aesthetic and cultural reasons at a State level.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The National trust also cites the sculpture as more than likely one of the first Post-Modern sculpture in Melbourne – prior to the commission of Cultural Rubble by Christine O’Loughlin at the Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne, installed in 1993.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I hope you have enjoyed this short post, there is little known about the artist Paul Juraszek, apart from being born in Melbourne in 1953.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was also depicted 29 times in Marcus Will’s painting The Paul Juraszek Monolith that won the 2006 Archibald Prize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you would like to visit the artwork or take a wander around Malvern’s iconic Shopping and Restaurant precinct then see map listing below.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Auctions houses that have sold his works include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • Christies:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    • Leonard Joel, Prahran VIC:       <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      • Deutscher-Menzies:    <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
        • Davidson Auctions, Annandale NSW:    <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          His works are held by major public Galleries, including:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          • Art Gallery of Western Australia:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
            • National Gallery of Australia:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
              • National Gallery of Victoria:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                Location<\/p>\n\n\n\n