Peter Cole
VIC b.1947
Forest 1994
Steel, bronze, aluminium and brass painted and patinated
16 parts dimensions various
BCEC Art Collection
Peter Cole is a preeminent Australian sculptor, known for his use of geometric forms and bold colour. Visitors to Brisbane will have encountered the artist’s suspended and wall-mounted installations at the Brisbane International Airport.
Forest comprises sixteen metal components mounted on stands. Each component depicts a recognisable element of the landscape including the sun, moon, a starry sky, tree and rocky hillside. The artist has included actual rocks in the installation, reinforcing this connection to the natural world. Assembled together the individual components form a landscape.
Cole’s work is playful and engaging with its bright, primary colour palette. Dramatic shadows are cast by the objects when lit from above, affording the installation a theatrical quality. The modular nature of the installation means that the individual components can theoretically be arranged in a multitude of ways, depending on the space in which the work is being presented.