Page 1199 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 10 April 2018
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Almost all Canberrans will be familiar with Matthew’s work, even if they do not specifically know his name. He was the creator of some of the ACT’s most iconic and affectionately regarded public artworks. Countless Canberrans have sat on the stainless steel cushion in Garema Place to watch the world go by, walked under the ACT Memorial in Ainslie Place, or patted or even dressed up the chain link sheep at the Kambah shops. After news of Matthew’s passing, locals placed black bands around the sheep to honour him. I noted last week when driving past it that they are currently sporting floral bonnets.
We are privileged here in the Assembly to have an artwork made by Matthew Harding and others, the stately Moai Easter Island head sculpture in the interior courtyard, which was created as part of a highly successful collaboration led by Matthew at the 1998 Multicultural Festival with visiting Easter Island carvers. There is also one of Matthew’s works in the veterans Garden of Remembrance at Woden Cemetery, where his mosaic of coloured stones is based on the image of stones skipping across water. A spectacular example of one of Matthew’s furniture pieces entitled Dialogue is currently on display at CMAG, in their exhibition celebrating 20 years of collecting.
Few artists have touched the Canberra landscape so extensively. Indeed, there is more of Matthew’s art in the ACT public realm than that of any other artist. Matthew lived in Canberra for 10 years, studying at the ANU school of art from 1992 to 1995. He was trained in visual arts, construction industries and various craft traditions. Matthew’s sculptures located in the ACT reflect his versatility as an artist and his expert ability to work with a range of materials. The casuarina pods in City Walk are bronze. Ebb and flow in Bunda Street and the famous cushion are stainless steel. And in Veterans Park in the city, the commission Longitude by Matthew is carved stone.
Matthew created objects that were meant to be interacted with, touched and sat on, objects that reflect and morph. His work is found in cities across Australia, including Melbourne, Brisbane, Newcastle and Hobart, where his striking mirror-polished stainless steel work graces the facade of the Museum of Old and New Art. Matthew’s work is in public collections nationally and internationally, including the National Gallery of Australia, the ANU, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the British royal collection and the Inami sculpture park in Japan, as well as in various corporate headquarters in Singapore and China and in private collections in Australia and all over the world.
Matthew was a guest lecturer and spoke at various higher education institutions across the country, including the ANU and the University of Tasmania. And he had an interest in cross-cultural collaboration, travelling to many countries and finding a common language through artistic expression. Matthew was exposed to the craft skills of various cultures throughout his travels, such as stone sculpting in Zimbabwe and carving in New Guinea, New Zealand and Cambodia.
Matthew’s artworks have shaped our experience of urban places in Canberra, providing visual interest, promoting conversation and simply delighting many of us. Matthew was loved by his friends and his family, including his partner and four young children. He will be deeply missed by them and by the many thousands of people who continue to value and enjoy his beautiful art.
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