ALTHOUGH he did not realise it at the time, stacking firewood 25 years ago led directly to the opening this week of an exhibition of Hugh Montgomery’s sculptures.
Included in the firewood waiting to be stacked was a “solid block of seasoned red gum” that Montgomery regarded as being “too good to burn”.
The red gum was taken to his home in Dromana and became the first of his “visitors” or “characters”, made from timber and plastics that Montgomery has collected from Mornington Peninsula beaches.
“After collecting, preparing and assembling the pieces I have made moulds of the work and then have had them cast in bronze,” he said.
The “characters” that evolved over the 25 years following the initial firewood find came when time permitted while Montgomery juggled work and family commitments.
“With each new work I have burrowed deeper into my psyche to create more complex and curious creations,” he said.
The exhibition name, Follow the Curve, explains Montgomery’s approach to the treatment of the various bits and pieces washed onto the beaches.
Follow the Curve under Montgomery’s artistic name of H.V Montgomery, opens this week and runs until 24 December at &Gallery in Morce Avenue, Sorrento, call 0417 324 795 or visit andgalleryaustralia.net
First published in the Mornington News – 5 December 2023
