A nearly 1000kg sculpture made of scrap metal was on show last night on its home turf.
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The campdraft sculpture, lovingly called 'Ben and Scrap', became an online sensation overnight earlier in the year, when Mount Isa local Claire Murphy posted photos of her work on social media.
Invited to the Northern Territory for the annual NT Cattlemen's Association conference in March, the artwork turned heads on the 3,200km journey from its home in Mount Isa to its Darwin destination.
"(The sculpture) was at the (Cattlemen's) conference ... and it was nice for people to be able to see it in the flesh, so to speak," Ms Murphy said.
Using a variety of old tools and parts of unused farming equipment to weld together the 935kg horse and rider sculpture, the welding pro said she never thought she would be an artist.
"When I was a child, my dad taught me to weld, and my mum is an artist," she said.
"But I never thought I would be an artist, too."
When she brought her sculpture to the Northern Territory, Ms Murphy said 'there were a few broken necks of people swinging around to catch a glimpse of it and trying to figure out what it was'.
Ben and Scrap have since returned to their Mount Isa home, and were on display in front of the Civic Centre last night, in the lead-up to this week's rodeo activities.
Annie Hesse
I am an award-winning media and communications professional with experience across print, digital, social and radio broadcast, as well as photography and videography. I am the NT Correspondent at Australian Community Media and I write for my hometown newspaper, the Katherine Times. I love telling people's stories, and I am passionate about giving those a voice who may otherwise remain unheard. When I am not busy putting pen to paper, I spend time in my garden, go bushwalking or travel across the Northern Territory, Australia or the world. In my spare time I write, illustrate and publish books.
I am an award-winning media and communications professional with experience across print, digital, social and radio broadcast, as well as photography and videography. I am the NT Correspondent at Australian Community Media and I write for my hometown newspaper, the Katherine Times. I love telling people's stories, and I am passionate about giving those a voice who may otherwise remain unheard. When I am not busy putting pen to paper, I spend time in my garden, go bushwalking or travel across the Northern Territory, Australia or the world. In my spare time I write, illustrate and publish books.
