Sound of Silence

Artist : Tony Davis

Material : Jarrah Timber & Corten Steel

Year Created : 2023

Artist's Location : Western Australia

Type : Sculpture

Size : 5m x 3.2m x 3m

‘Sound of Silence’ is a large bell reflecting a theme of forest destruction.

This sculpture is part of the New England Sculpture Track (NEST) established in 2026.

The 'bell-mouth' is split, allowing the viewer to access and engage with both the inside and outside space.

The experience from within the belly of the bell is thought provocative - if you try for an echo - it is minimal, if at all existent. It has a wooden bell inside that makes a gentle sound in the breeze.

Created from Corten Steel & Jarrah, salvaged from a firewood yard, when the WA Government announced that logging was going to be stopped in states' old growth forests (announced in 2021, commercial logging in native jarrah, karri, and wandoo forests ended in Western Australia as of January 1, 2024).

Sound of Silence references the cessation of the chainsaws and machinery that disturb the natural environment.

This sculpture was exhibited at Sculpture by the Sea, at both Cottesloe WA and Bondi, NSW in 2024.

Installed in Walcha's Open Air Gallery | February 2026

THE ARTIST:

Tony hales from regional Western Australia. Having multiple awards to his name and works shown in many prestigious exhibitions. Of exceptional note, winning the 2022 The Aqualand Award Major Award at Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi.