Artwork shows love of spiders

A one metre high redback spider bike rack made by Waikiki artist Irene Osborne is on display at Melville’s 2014 Sculpture Walk.

The steel and fibreglass structure is part of the functional art category and up for a people’s choice award, to be announced when the exhibition ends on Sunday, April 6.

Osborne said she drew inspiration for the piece from her love of all creatures, great and small.

“I’m very inspired by nature and I’m very Australian, and proud,” she said.

“I like spiders, I don’t know why.”

Osborne said although spiders were scary to most people, they were very important to nature and man.

“The famous redback spider is almost an Australian icon and has been the inspiration of many stories and much entertainment,” she said.

“And this one has a happy face.”

Osborne said she wanted the bike rack to be used during the exhibition.

It is also for sale.

The artworks are installed at Deep Water Point, Mt Pleasant.

City of Melville Mayor Russell Aubrey said the annual Sculpture Walk was a wonderful cultural event which gave the community an opportunity to experience and enjoy art in a beautiful outdoor setting, and an opportunity for artists.

“Sculpture Walk also provides emerging and established artists with a platform to exhibit their work to the public, an opportunity to extend their art practice into site-specific public art and a stepping stone to further exhibitions and work in the future,” he said.