Public Art

PAPARAZZI DOGS
DUMBO DISTRICT, NEW YORK FEDERATION SQUARE, MELBOURNE, VIC
Melbourne’s Federation Square is a world-renowned cultural attraction. In 2013, Gillie and Marc’s series of four bronze paparazzi dogmen, the tallest of which is 2.2 metres, was installed for three months.
Paparazzi Dogs is a comment on the prevalence of paparazzi in popular culture. Visitors took their own photos with the paparazzi, allowing them to become their own celebrity. Trey Ratcliff, considered to be one of the world’s best contemporary photographers, also came to take a photo and was followed by 500 professional photographers to take a photo of him.
“Visitors flocked daily to Fed Square to take their own photos with the paparazzi. It let everyone become their own celebrity,” Marc said. Gillie and Marc had intentionally created the interactive piece to expose the pack mentality of the media and how we hunt celebrities to get their photo.
The Paparazzi Dogs are currently in Brooklyn’s buzzing art district, DUMBO in Brooklyn.
Paparazzi Dogs
Bronze Life-size
Photography by Clara Inés Schuhmacher
Photography by Clara Inés Schuhmacher


Photography by Ockert Le Roux


PUBLIC ART ATTRACTS ATTENTION AND STARTS
A CONVERSATION
GILLIE AND MARC


INCREASES VISITORS
During its two week run, Bondi’s Sculpture by the Sea brought in close to a million visitors. Over 47,000 photographs have been tagged on Instagram. Give people art and you turn them into brand ambassadors.
Time and time again, research has shown people want art. A survey conducted in Philadelphia found it was the city’s second most popular activity. And a survey of over 43,000 people completed by The Knight Foundation said the “aesthetics of a place” ranked higher in attachment than education and the local economy. Art will bring in the crowds.


FLYING FISH
SCULPTURE BY THE SEA 2015, BONDI, NSW
Flying Fish discusses the effect humans have on animals, symbolised through the rope pulling down the fish, restricting its movement. Gillie and Marc chose the flying fish because it has managed to survive global warming by flying away. Their population may have even increased.
Still, the fact remains that humans are destroying their habitat and eventually there will be less places for them to ‘fly’ to. Flying Fish challenges the relationship between human and animals by asking, is the fish succeeding in the face of its challenges or is it about to be grappled to Earth by the rope?
Flying Fish
Fibreglass and bronze paint 500 x 320 x 100cm






Photography by Nick Moir


WILLIAM NELSON
WILLIAM NELSON PARK AND SKATEPARK, HASTINGS, NZ
William Nelson (1843–1932) was an Englishman who moved to New Zealand and earned the reputation as the “Father of Hawke’s Bay” thanks to his caring, giving spirit. The farmer turned industrialist became a much- loved and respected citizen who would spend his later days helping out the community, walking around with his dog, Tiddles.
Gillie and Marc were commissioned to memorialize Nelson before the launch of the William Nelson Skate Park. The artists created a beautiful sculpture of William and his dog. Mayor Lawrence Yule declared the park officially open in front of members of the Hastings District Council and descendants of William Nelson himself, some of which had flown in from Sydney.
William Nelson
Bronze 180 x 130cm




THE TRAVELLERS HAVE ARRIVED
SCULPTURE BY THE SEA 2012, BONDI, NSW MCCLELLAND SCULPTURE PARK, LANGWARRIN, VIC
Each year in Sydney an outdoor sculpture exhibition called Sculpture by the Sea takes place for four weeks along the coastal walk of Bondi and Tamarama. Gillie and Marc have been a part of this festival twice now and have taken out awards for their artworks that have been seen by over
a half million people.
In 2012, the artists created The Travellers Have Arrived for the event. The festival director’s response was that it was “brilliantly modelled” and a highlight for many visitors.
The Travellers Have Arrived is now on permanent exhibition at the McClelland Sculpture Park in Langwarrin, Victoria. The McClelland Sculpture Park is Australia’s leading sculpture park, and an innovative space for contemporary sculpture to be shown.
The Travellers Have Arrived
Fibreglass and bronze paint Life-size
Photography by Gary P Hayes


Photography by Gary P Hayes


THE CELEBRITY ANIMAL
FOX STUDIOS, SYDNEY, NSW BANKSTOWN SHOPPING CENTRE, NSW
Shoppers stopped in their tracks and jostled for selfies when The Celebrity Animal, seven life-size sculptures of celebrities with a quirky difference, was unveiled in shopping mall, Bankstown Central.
The collection include Arnold ‘Stag’ Schwarzenegger, Pamela ‘Poodle’ Anderson, Dr ‘Bear’ Evil, Michael ‘Dog’ Jackson and Jessica Rabbit.
“Everyone has a fascination with celebrity but it’s difficult to get close and engage them,” Gillie said. “So we came up with the hybrid idea so they could have that feeling of a little bit of fame.”
Marc explained they were also parodying celebrity culture. “Celebrities are the new royalty and shopping centres are the new galleries of the world.”
The Celebrity Animal received a lot of media exposure. The hashtag #bankstownfamous went viral on Instagram and the “celebs” brought in significantly more visitors to the shopping centre.
The Celebrity Animal
Bronze Life-size




RICKY PONTING
BELLERIVE OVAL, HOBART, TAS
Hobart’s Bellerive Oval is Tasmania’s only venue that hosts international cricket matches on its whopping 20,000-person grounds. Gillie and Marc were commissioned to immortalise beloved former Australia captain, Ricky Ponting who was born and bred in Tasmania.
To Ponting’s absolute delight, he unveiled a statue of himself before the
first Test against the West Indies in 2015. The artists have aptly portrayed Australia’s highest-run scorer mid-play, performing his famous pull shot. This signature stroke sent fear into bowlers around the world and was used in over 168 tests during his 17-year-long career. Visitors enjoy coming to the stadium to get their photo taken with the super star.
Ricky Ponting
Bronze Life-size




CHEEKY CHIMPS
WELLINGTON ZOO, NEW ZEALAND
When Wellington Zoo commissioned Gillie and Marc to create a sculpture they decided the ‘Chimp Lawn’ needed two chimps that the children could interact with. The Chimp Lawn is a picnic area that overlooks both the chimpanzee enclosure and Wellington City. Unfortunately, people weren’t taking the time to enjoy this gorgeous, relaxing space.
A natural response to something that intrigues us is to reach out and touch them in order to feel close and connected. “It’s almost impossible to love something without touching it,” Marc explained. “These sculptures allow for this.” Since the installation of Cheeky Chimps, children spend more time playing with the bronze chimps than they do watching their real-life counterparts. The Chimp Lawn has become a much-loved and popular picnic spot.
Cheeky Chimps
Bronze 130 x 100 x 55cm
Photography by Louise Hatton


Photography by Louise Hatton


PUBLIC ART HAS
TO BE SEEN TO
BE BELIEVED
GILLIE AND MARC


CREATES A DESTINATION
If you have art, people will travel. There’s a reason 80% of the world’s attractions are man-made. Public sculpture enhances a location whether it’s a Big Banana in a small coastal town or the Statue of Liberty.
Public art is a powerful economic driver. When planning a road trip with multiple stops, a sculpture is a great draw card. Art turns the ordinary into extraordinary. And public art will put you on the map.


COFFEE DRINKERS
RUNDLE MALL, ADELAIDE, SA
Gillie and Marc’s sought-after bronze artwork, Coffee Drinkers, has made stops in a range of cultured, fashionable areas including the Morrison Gallery in New York.
The CEO of Adelaide’s Rundle Mall approached the artists to have the Coffee Drinkers permanently installed outside David Jones as a way to make the space more chic and artistic.
Since its installation, people flock to the human-sized artwork to touch it and take photographs. The sculpture encourages shoppers to embrace their inner yuppie, and find the time to stop and indulge a little.
Coffee Drinkers has transformed an ordinary shopping spot into a trendy and stylist destination.
Coffee Drinkers
Bronze Life-size




SIR RUSSELL DRYSDALE’S EASEL
WEST WYALONG, NSW
In February 2014, NSW Arts Minister George Souris unveiled Gillie and Marc’s sculpture based on Sir Russell Drysdale’s 1949 painting of West Wyalong’s main street.
The original painting is worth $2.5 million and has been voted by former curator of the Art Gallery of NSW as one of Australia’s 10 greatest paintings of all time.
Gillie and Marc’s Easel is a recreation of Drysdale’s studio space comprising of his easel, and a 3D version of his famous paintings. This interactive sculpture is installed on the street at the exact angle Drysale painted from.
Sir Russell Drysdale’s Easel
Bronze 240cm high




THE WAVE RIDERS
WOOLLOOMOOLOO WHARF, SYDNEY, NSW
Sydneysiders are known for their gorgeous surf beaches. And despite what people think, surfing is a very social sport. Gillie and Marc created
The Wave Riders as a tribute to what some might say is the lost art of tandem surfing, and the spirit of doing things together.
Tandem surfing might have gone out of fashion in the 60s but these surfers are perfectly in tune with each other, and able to find balance despite the odds. It was picked for display at last year’s Harbour Sculpture Prize and now can be found at the Finger Wharf in Woolloomooloo where it perfectly highlights the harbour view and outgoing culture of the area.
The Wave Riders
Bronze 290 x 250 x 70cm




DIPROTODON
PAROO, CUNNAMULLA, QLD
Diprotodon is classified as “megafauna” and is more affectionately known as a giant wombat. It is the largest marsupial ever to live and first existed
1.6 million years ago. In 2011, a diprotodon skeleton called Kenny was found in Eulo in outback Queensland. Kenny is one of the largest and best- preserved megafauna skeletons ever discovered.
Gillie and Marc were commissioned by Paroo Shire Council to recreate Kenny in bronze. The artists worked with paleontologists from Queensland Museum to use Kenny’s bones to recreate a biologically accurate, life-
sized bronze sculpture. The bronze statue has helped create Paroo as a destination to learn about fossils and megafauna in general. In fact, on the Outback Queensland website it lists the statue as the number one tourist site above mud springs, air raid shelters and rivers.
Diprotodon
Bronze 210 x 330 x 135cm




EARLY MORNING COFFEE
DOUBLE BAY, SYDNEY, NSW
Early Morning Coffee is a 2.8 metre tall sculpture of Dogman and Rabbitgirl peacefully enjoying their morning coffee. The artwork was first unveiled in the ritzy Sydney suburb of Double Bay where it wowed passersby for two years. School children would run past and laugh at their exposed genitals, or literally climb up on to them.
Gillie and Marc are regulars at Double Bay and know that a good cup of a coffee and dining al fresco is a huge part of the neighbourhood’s culture. So they created an artwork that beautifully enhances this outdoorsy, modern lifestyle and community.
Early Morning Coffee
Bronze 280 x 150cm




FETCH BOY
MAITLAND ART GALLERY, NSW
Fetch Boy is one of Gillie and Marc’s most recognisable and controversial works. The sculpture is on permanent display at Maitland Regional Art Gallery and is a favourite of both locals and tourists. When Fetch Boy went on a brief hiatus, everyone was aghast. The Maitland Mercury covered its departure and the gallery even threw a “pooch picnic” to celebrate its return.
The three-metre tall, suit-wearing dog who is picking up its own poo, caused a stir from the moment of its installation. “Within half an hour of him being placed in his grassy, well fenced ‘yard’ we had people come in, who’d never been inside the gallery before, asking about our dog and if they could get a closer look,” explained Gallery Curator, Cheryl Farrell. “Within a day we had the Maitland Mercury down to take a photo for a front page feature, and within two days the Sydney Telegraph were in touch to take photos and write a story. Within a week a new route had been established by families visiting the gallery that incorporated a visit to Fetch Boy before coming through the front doors.”
Fetch Boy
Fibreglass with bronze paint 290 x 250 x 70cm
Photography by Zoë Ambler


Photography by Zoë Ambler


LIONESS AND CUBS
NATIONAL ZOO AND AQUARIUM, ACT
Canberra’s National Zoo and Aquarium is a small, friendly tourist site that allows its visitors to get up and close and personal with the animals. Crowd favourites are lioness Millie and her two baby cubs, Marjan and Sabi.
When the artists were approached to make something to welcome the guests staying in the Jamala Lodge, they wanted to keep with the Zoo’s “close encounter” personality. Gillie and Marc recreated Millie playing with her lion cubs, and the children absolutely adore it. Every day, loads of photos are taken of the children with the sculpture, cuddling the lions they just saw within the zoo. The sculpture has cemented this boutique zoo as the best place to get close to a real-life lion family.
Lioness and cubs
Bronze Life-size




PUBLIC ART TURNS
HEROES INTO
IMMORTALS
GILLIE AND MARC


LASTS FOREVER
“As history shows, bronze lasts virtually forever. It’s low maintenance and easy to clean. A bronze sculpture is safe, durable and environmentally friendly.
Public art has been popular since the dawn of time and we’re only seeing that hunger grow. There’s a saying that, “Art is long and life is short”. What a gift it is to create something that will impact people both now and forever.”


WHEAT LUMPER
RAILWAY TRIANGLE, CUMMINS, SA
South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula has a rich history with the grains industry and the community of Cummins wanted to recognise their past with a piece of public art.
The physical efforts of the wheat lumper was critical to the loading and unloading of wheat bags at the railway sidings throughout Eyre Peninsula. A small park known as the Railway Triangle is also a part of the town’s heritage. Gillie and Marc decided to honour both these things by installing their sculpture Wheat Lumper in the park.
The sculpture pays tribute to the men who used to carry and stack bags of wheat, often up to 90 kilograms, for transportation. The idea came following the release of Grain Handling: The Way It Was by the late Jim Cronin.
Wheat Lumper
Bronze 275cm high
Photography by Tiff Firth




JOCKEY - KENNY RUSSELL
LIONS PARK, MONTO, QLD
Kenny Russell was a revered jockey who won four premierships before being tragically killed during a race at the age of 42. Even more heartbreaking, his wife Carol was in the crowd and witnessed his death.
Gillie and Marc were commissioned by North Burnett Council to replace the beloved fiberglass sculpture of the late jockey. The last artwork, made by a different artist, was sadly deteriorating which is quite common with fibreglass.
The artists worked closely with Carol to create a more accurate sculpture that would more closely reflect Kenny’s facial features.
Kenny Russell
Bronze Life-size




RUN FOR YOUR LIFE
AUSTRALIA ZOO, SUNSHINE COAST, QLD
When Steve Irwin passed away the whole world mourned Australia’s national treasure. Australia Zoo commissioned Gillie and Marc to create a commemorative artwork for the zoo’s annual Steve Irwin Day. The Day represents everything that Irwin was passionate about: family, wildlife conservation and fun.
The artists wanted to honour the life and legacy of the beloved Crocodile Hunter while staying true to his playful and adventurous spirit. Hence the sculpture is a tongue-in-cheek piece made to look like the croc is jumping out of the water.
Run for your life
Bronze 180 x 220cm




PAYING RESPECTS
CITIPOINTE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE, BRISBANE, QLD
Citipointe Christian College is a primary and high school based in Brisbane. The school commissioned Gillie and Marc to design an Anzac memorial in time for Remembrance Day.
The artists created a boy holding an official military hat as a way to pay respects and represent the loss of life without being too literal or traumatising for the students. The artists felt that the younger school children in particular, might find the boy more relatable. The school said the sculpture “created
a real buzz among the students” with some even trying to guess if the artwork was modelled off one of the students. It was also an effective way to introduce the topic of war and conflict.
Paying Respects is dedicated to remembering all Australians who have served their country in the armed forces in wartime or with peacekeeping.
Paying Respects
Bronze Life-size




STANDING WATCH
DARWIN MILITARY MUSEUM, NT
Darwin Military Museum commissioned Gillie and Marc to pay tribute to all the amazing Anzac soldiers who bravely fought in WWII. The Government organisation is a very popular tourist destination, ranking second out of 104 sites on Trip Advisor.
Every year they hold a Remembrance Day ceremony attended by retired diggers. The artists wanted to create a soldier that would educate foreign tourists while paying warm respects to past soldiers.
Standing watch
Bronze Life-size




NOW AND FOREVER
BONORONG WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, BRIGHTON, TAS
Gillie and Marc have gone through a lot of change and growth during their expansive career. They like to try new things and are always up for a challenge. But one thing that has remained steady and constant is their passion for animal conservation.
The artists created Now and Forever for Tasmania’s Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. The sculpture is a showcase for three endangered species
– the Tasmanian devil, the Eastern quoll and the Tasmanian bettong
– who desperately need protection. The artists chose to have the three animals cuddling and hiding behind one another as a way to highlight their vulnerabilities. What we do for these beautiful creatures today, will impact their lives forever.
Now and Forever
Bronze 145 x 168 x 85cm




CUDDLES
LONE PINE KOALA SANCTUARY, FIG TREE POCKET, QLD
The world’s oldest and largest koala sanctuary, Lone Pine, is now home to 130 koalas and over 100 species of native animals.
Gillie and Marc’s goal for Cuddles was to be make a cute and interactive artwork that students and adults could connect with while also enhancing the sanctuary’s nurturing environment. However, a koala is difficult to recreate. The artists spent a lot of time researching these lovable creatures to make the detail 100% accurate.
Cuddles is the extremely lifelike artwork you can see today. The much-loved sculpture has been well-received by both the young and young-at-heart.
Cuddles
Bronze 165 x 100 x 100