Blue Mountain Green seen from the southern approach. The backdrop of hills and farmland is well shown in this photo. (c) Robert Evans
Photo: Robert Evans
Next in my loosely grouped category of "public art that's made of metal and by a professional artist and is found in or near Cooma": Blue Mountain Green (II) by Charles Ginniver.
It is situated on a prominent rise about 18km north of Cooma on the eastern side of the Monaro Highway.
The sculpture was commissioned by landowner John Kahlbetzer from American sculptor Charles Ginniver and installed in 1978. It was later donated to the current owners, the National Gallery of Australia.
Similarly to The Man from Snowy River but to a greater degree, this sculpture is often misunderstood by viewers. Its non-figurative nature renders it meaningless to some.This is unfortunate. The fact that sheep sometimes walk up it provides entertainment for those without much interest in sculpture (and with).
Green Mountain Blue Charles Ginniver photo (c) NGA (see link below).
Despite the artist's statement that the work was "a kind of homage" to Jackson Pollock* due to the "loss" of his painting Blue Poles ("loss" as in it was bought by the Australian government in 1973 and thus removed from the United States), the sculpture also has characteristics that make it an interesting response to the landscape. The large scale - it is 8 metres high - and the angles of the steel beams of which is is made, echo the slopes of the mountains behind it. The sky blue colour relates both to the clear skies of the Monaro and to the eucalyptus-blued mountains of its setting. The apparent precariousness of the structure, its unbalanced appearance making it seem an almost impossible object, could be read as a comment of the nature of farming, especially in the harsh climate of the Monaro, (or on other uncertainty such as the loss of admired artworks to other countries. Just joking). These remarks are speculation, as Blue Mountain Green (II) was a second and larger version of a sculpture exhibited in the US in 1968: however its form was somewhat altered from that of the earlier sculpture, in response to the setting. The dynamic arrangement of the beams is in part a depiction of movement.As a gift to the passer-by, it is a generous gesture.
An informative article about Ginniver's life and career can be found here: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/25/arts/charles-ginnever-dead.html
*https://artsearch.nga.gov.au/detail.cfm?IRN=33854&PICTAUS=TRUE
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