Sea Monster

Artist : Emmanuel Watt

Material : Stringybark

Year Created : 1998

Special Note : The Blackfellows Gully Workshop. Sponsored by Stephen King

Artist's Location : Vanuatu

Type : Sculpture

Size : 1.5 x 0.4 x 1.0m

1998 Blackfellows Gully Workshop was sponsored by local sculptor/artist, Stephen King who hosted these artists on his property 'Blackfellows Gully' in the lead up to the 1998 'Sculpture by the Sea'.

SHORT STORY (ref: Stephen King Sculpture) Two sculptors, Tom Deko from Goroka in Papua New Guinea and Emmanuel Watt from Vanuatu, had been invited by Sculpture by the Sea to Australia to be two of the first international sculptors to participate in this enormously popular event.

Stephen King, also a sculptor, had invited Tom and Emmanuel to come to Walcha to see the Australian bush and to take part in a sculpture workshop to be held over three days in the environs of Stephen's workshed.

THE SCULPTURE:

On the first morning at 'Blackfellows Gully', Emmanuel spotted a large stringybark root lying around near Steve's sculpture shed. The first day was supposed to be a rest day with perhaps a visit to a shearing shed, but being the sculptor that he is, Emmanuel set to work immediately carving the root and transforming it into a sea monster full of references to traditional story and legend from Vanuatu.

Emmanuel spotted a tree root on Stephen Kings farm and transformed it into this sculpture, a Sea Monster, full of references to traditional story and legend from Vanuatu

Made in Walcha, purchased by Walcha Council in 1999.

THE ARTIST:

Emmanuel Watt, a traditional artist from Vanuatu visited Walcha during 'Sculpture by the Sea' 1998.

Emmanuel Watt is Vanuatu’s first contemporary artist. The world-renowned artist with a Pentecost, Ambae and French background has been carving since the mid 1970's and has made thousands of pieces.