Gramophone sculpture brings sound of extinct birds to life

Gramophone sculpture brings sound of extinct birds to life

A former Christchurch sculptor, now living in Auckland, is seeking a new home for a giant steel gramophone that plays the sounds of many extinct and endangered New Zealand birds.

The towering garden sculpture by well-known artist Chris Moore stretches 2.8m high, 2.8m wide and 3.6m long.

He originally made the gramophone for a Sculpture in the Gardens exhibition at the Auckland Botanic Gardens but has decided it’s now time to sell the work.

Dubbed Bird Songs, the work has a price tag of $38,000 and is for sale on NZArtbroker (www.nzartbroker.com) , an online platform that lists privately owned art works for sale.

“I’ve always loved the sculptural shape of the old gramophones – it’s a bizarrely shaped object but that is actually functional. This sculpture also has a very floral look to it that I thought would sit well with nature.

“It took almost three months to build with a lot of learning on the way.”

Moore has been a full-time sculptor and blacksmith for 20 years. After completing an apprenticeship in traditional blacksmithing in Europe in 2004, he returned to New Zealand and established his studio in Oratia, west of Auckland.

Working in forged steel and bronze for clients here and overseas, Moore has completed many commissions for private homes and public spaces including large works for Waikato’s Waitakaruru Arboretum and Sculpture Park, The Mairangi bay town centre and the Torbay town centre.

Jules Mark, a director of NZArtbroker, says the work is best suited to a public space or large private setting such as a rural garden.

“This is an absolutely fantastic work - it’s not only the scale but the interactive nature which gives it such a wide appeal. It’s so intriguing with not only the sounds of the birds but also the historical significance, on so many levels.”

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