'Pulse' sculpture
'Pulse' is a stunning sculpture located in the Art Gallery forecourt.
Pulse was commissioned as a result of a generous donation from the Lee Graff Foundation in the United States, through the efforts of Mrs Arija Austin, a Senior Honorary Fellow of the University.
Created by renowned artist, Konstantin Dimopoulos, Pulse was dedicated in April 2007 by Doug Hall AM, the Director of the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art.
Artist’s statement
Pulse is a site-specific environmental sculpture for the University of the Sunshine Coast Art Gallery forecourt. The work focuses on the simple but elegant and dynamic rhythms of nature.
Pulse is a dynamic sculpture that uses colour, vertical reeds, the natural environment, repetition of form, and the imagination of the viewer to transform a site and echo an organic, primordial past.
Pulse pays homage to the forest through the use of vertical form (lines), and repetition. Colour and movement then introduces an element of surprise and warmth. I think the sensitivity and fragility that is evoked in Pulse attempts to echo the incredible beauty and elegance of its environment without dominating it. I see this sculpture as both reverential and reflective, allowing the viewer to come to their own conclusion through their own introspection.
Pulse evokes a beginning, new growth, and renewal, the work climbing upwards, creating an immediate sense of scale for visitors arriving at the Art Gallery. It is a dynamic sculpture, moving gently in the wind, and through the use of movement, colour and sound, it explores both the natural beauty inherent within the University area and the rich spirituality of the land. Colour is not merely decoration; it evokes a real energy.
Pulse is a changing work, from upright, orderly serenity, to gently pulsing abstraction, the reeds moving together to form transitory patterns then separating again and opening up to reveal new aspects to the sculpture. The sculpture is made of very durable materials requiring minimal maintenance and will endure through the generations to come.
Konstantin Dimopoulos