Dragonfly and Sedge
Dragonfly and Sedge – Cockburn Wetlands Precinct
Our proposal for the Wetlands Precinct Artwork was to create a dragonfly sculpture on a slender 2.7metre piece of sedge, to represent elements of the local natural flora and fauna. The artwork was to welcome, educate and captivate visitors to the area, no matter their age, ability or interests.
Each side of the sedge would incorporate laser cut native flora and fauna. These designs were hand-drawn by Carol Stevens, then converted into cutting files suitable for the creation of detailed metal motifs. Careful research was undertaken by Carol to ensure that animal, plant and insect-life depicted in her designs was representative of flora and fauna found in the local area. In this way, the artwork could act as an educational guide or an inspiration to visitors to encourage them to identify or attempt to observe plants and animals featured in the design.
Dragonflies are of immense importance to wetland area food chains. Dragonflies and their nymphs are capable of consuming over 100 mosquitoes per day whilst themselves also being a food source for other animals. The Dragonfly, during its life-cycle, inhabits the worlds of water, air and land, thus being a perfect bridge between the habitats of the local area.
Our design was to be made largely from corten, WR350 weathering steel suitable for the Wetlands environment and complementary to the palette of the buildings The laser cut artwork on the sedge was to be backed by stainless steel to create a subtle contrast whilst also protecting against finger entrapment. Similarly, the laser cut wings and eyes of the dragonfly were to be fabricated from stainless steel, creating a lace-like and delicate element to the design.