The Echo loves your letters and is proud to provide a community forum on the issues that matter most to our readers and the people of the NSW north coast. So don’t be a passive reader, send us your epistles.
The two Aboriginal flags that fly high over the Brunswick River Bridge on Invasion Day have become a potent symbol of survival and solidarity for many in the Shire.
More than 60 farmers blockaded Santos trucks on Saturday and police were called to a state forest near Gunnedah amid disputes over potential water extraction and fracking.
Regret (of the Anthropocene) – Swell Sculpture Festival. Photo David Lowe.
The SWELL Sculpture Festival is held annually on Currumbin Beach and this year’s event went from September 13 to 22.
Now in its seventeenth year, the ten-day festival brings up to 50 large scale works by nationally and internationally renowned artists to a free public exhibition on the beaches of the Gold Coast.
This year there was a strong emphasis on sea life and environmental works, with several light-based works designed to be seen at night. A diverse audience of people of all ages and backgrounds, plus a wide variety of dogs, enjoyed the sculptures.
Audience voting last week was skewing heavily towards Louis Pratt’s extraordinary work ‘Regret (of the Anthropocene)’ with its focus on coal driving humanity towards extinction, although the judges had other ideas.
For those who couldn’t get there, here is a selection of photos to make you wish you had!
Photos David Lowe
Whispering to Venus – Swell Sculpture Festival. Photo David Lowe.
Whispering to Venus – Swell Sculpture Festival. Photo David Lowe.
Washed Out – Swell Sculpture Festival. Photo David Low
Totem – Swell Sculpture Festival. Photo David Lowe.
Tide – Swell Sculpture Festival. Photo David Lowe.
The Host – Swell Sculpture Festival. Photo David Lowe.
Punters and The Host – Swell Sculpture Festival. Photo David Lowe.
The Holy Cow – Swell Sculpture Festival. Photo David Lowe.
The Concretefish – Swell Sculpture Festival. Photo David Lowe.
Superegg – Swell Sculpture Festival. Photo David Lowe.
Regret (of the Anthropocene) – Swell Sculpture Festival. Photo David Lowe.
Regret (of the Anthropocene) – Swell Sculpture Festival. Photo David Lowe.
Mermaid – Swell Sculpture Festival. Photo David Lowe.
M-Fortytwo 2017 – Swell Sculpture Festival. Photo David Lowe.
Little Tree Frog – Swell Sculpture Festival. Photo David Lowe.
I’ve Been Everywhere Man – Swell Sculpture Festival. Photo David Lowe.
I’ve Been Everywhere Man – Swell Sculpture Festival. Photo David Lowe.
Hand in the Sand – Swell Sculpture Festival. Photo David Lowe.
Food for Thought – Swell Sculpture Festival. Photo David Lowe.
Bower – Swell Sculpture Festival. Photo David Lowe.
Keeping the community together and the community voice loud and clear is what The Echo is about. More than ever we need your help to keep this voice alive and thriving in the community.
Like all businesses we are struggling to keep food on the table of all our local and hard working journalists, artists, sales, delivery and drudges who keep the news coming out to you both in the newspaper and online. If you can spare a few dollars a week – or maybe more – we would appreciate all the support you are able to give to keep the voice of independent, local journalism alive.
11 COMMENTS
We get the publicity about Swell when it is over. Who knew it was on?
No one.
Well Len its been running for 17 years every September. Where have you been? BUT, agree, The Echo is good at reporting interesting events after they have happened!
Phil H: One can’t report an event before it happens, only afterward. One can mention or promote before, but not report. A report is about a past or ongoing event.
The sculptures are there for affect and not meaning.
What is the meaning from the sculpture?
The meaning transcends weeks, months, years and decades.
The Sydney Opera House, how long can you look at it and never get tired of it.
Decades, maybe hundreds of years, the same with the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
It was built in 1932 and it is as fresh as 2019. That is art.
Your cover story on 25 January claims that land valuation rises could herald increases in Council rates. This is potentially misleading. A council’s total...
Psst: want to get Council staff to do something about the appalling state of roads in your neighbourhood?
Organise a protest outside Mullum’s Council Chambers!
By...
Art imitates life in What’s Love Got to Do with It? a 2022 British romantic comedy-drama film directed by Shekhar Kapur, from a screenplay by Jemima Khan.
The precis reads: ‘Set between London and Lahore, a filmmaker documents her childhood friend and neighbour’s arranged marriage to a bride from Pakistan.’
We get the publicity about Swell when it is over. Who knew it was on?
No one.
AGREE
last year the echo informed us in advance but didn’t this year and i wrote the same thing to my friend – inform us before not after!
It’s an annual event & always at the same time same place every year, Currumbin beach
Qld
so there you go!
What time is it Janis?
Well Len its been running for 17 years every September. Where have you been? BUT, agree, The Echo is good at reporting interesting events after they have happened!
Phil H: One can’t report an event before it happens, only afterward. One can mention or promote before, but not report. A report is about a past or ongoing event.
The Echo does not know what it is doing, Phil.
The sculptures are there for affect and not meaning.
What is the meaning from the sculpture?
The meaning transcends weeks, months, years and decades.
The Sydney Opera House, how long can you look at it and never get tired of it.
Decades, maybe hundreds of years, the same with the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
It was built in 1932 and it is as fresh as 2019. That is art.
Cross dressing is ok, but don’t dare come in blackface,,,,,hypocrisy much?
Hi … Great stuff … So which sculpture did win and which was ‘REGRET” that got high eco praise it seems ? Chrs Jason