Parnell Gallery bronze sculptor, Richard Wells has been featured on the front page of the Otago Daily Times after the installation of a pair of large bronze labradors has been completed.

The article can be read directly on the Otago Daily Times website, or words below. 

Richard Wells, who grew up in Inver­car­gill and now lives in Auck­land, said the two Lab­radors — one with a ball in its mouth, the other with a leash, ready for a walk — were cre­ated to embody loy­alty, secur­ity and a com­munity that helped to shape people’s lives. Mr Wells said a ‘‘sense of home’’ helped a per­son know who they were and shaped them.‘‘It’s your found­a­tion.

‘‘In essence, this is the inspir­a­tion for the sculp­tures.’’ The name of the piece was Lead­ers and in many ways the art­work rep­res­en­ted the South­land com­munity where he grew up. ‘‘As a pair they reflect rela­tion­ships, com­munity and con­nec­tion, all of which are vital to well­being and give you a sense of safety, secur­ity and solid­ity.‘It’s the solid val­ues of our com­munity that are por­trayed in their stance and stature.’’

When people were con­nec­ted to an area they were ‘‘part of the pack’’. ‘‘The dogs are meant to cel­eb­rate loy­alty, char­ac­ter and the every­day joy they bring to people — qual­it­ies I think are reflec­ted in the spirit of South­land itself.’’

It was an hon­our to be asked to make the sculp­tures which, to him, felt like com­ing full circle back to his roots, he said. ‘‘To me it’s an example of how the ‘can­do’ ment­ors that are so pre­val­ent in South­land influ­ence us all our lives.’’ It was import­ant to him for the sculp­tures to be placed on the ground where they were look­ing up at people. ‘‘They are hon­est and part of the con­ver­sa­tion. You can sit next to them on the bench and have a chat.’’ He remembered he enjoyed play­ing on the bronze statues in Queens Park when he was a boy. ‘‘I like to think that sim­il­arly people will inter­act with my sculp­tures and make con­nec­tions to them.’’

They were made in his home stu­dio. ‘‘The sculp­tures very much become part of my life.’’

His test for whether a sculp­ture was suc­cess­ful was whether it made people smile, he said. Plenty of people stopped by while he was pla­cing the statues and the looks on their faces said it all. ‘There were a lot of smiles in Esk St.’’

In Septem­ber last year city coun­cil­lors approved the pos­i­tion­ing of the sculp­tures in Esk St by a seven to six vote. They were com­mis­sioned by the Inver­car­gill Pub­lic Art Trail Char­it­able Trust.

Trust mem­bers Joc O’Don­nell and Sarah Han­nan said they were very pleased with the sculp­tures and to see so many people inter­act­ing with them. Mrs O’Don­nell said once while she was look­ing at the sculp­tures a tod­dler came up to one of the dogs and put their arms around it. ‘‘It was so cute [and] that’s why we need more art and sculp­tures to bring joy and delight.’

(Words and images all property of Otago Daily Times).