Beyond the black stump
Guy Breay
490mm x 490mm x 400mm /
Salvaged Budgeroo stump
This sculpture is carved from a salvaged Budgeroo tree stump that survived a bush fire many years ago.
Carving of this piece commenced in mid-December 2019 while many parts of Australia were experiencing catastrophic fire storms. The spiral vortex depicts the fury of a firestorm. Twisted tongues of heat and flames are gradually replaced by sprouting green shoots showing signs of recovery, regeneration, and revival. Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, new life begins to emerge beyond the burnt forests, farms, and homes.
About the artist
Breay is attracted to the texture of old, gnarled, and twisted wood, especially tree stumps and dead branches with interesting shapes. Sourcing timber from his sustainably managed forest property ‘The Stiks’, these act as a source of inspiration to capture movement, contrasting colour and texture. This work is further enhanced by the subtle use of natural edge, lines, and negative spaces. Constantly evolving, Breay’s carving style echoes of his earlier life in India, Papua New Guinea, and now at ‘The Stiks’.