Sculpture is back to its best

By Bethany Williams

Reed Vessel is looking as good as new after restoration and repair work on the seven-year-old artwork took place earlier this year.

The public art piece, which was officially unveiled in Docklands Park in 2004, was in need of some attention.

Bronze castings of two lizards and one eel had “gone missing” two years ago.

According to a City of Melbourne spokesperson, it took two years for the repair work to happen because the original artist was contracted to recast the objects and this work took some time.

Virginia King was the New Zealand artist commissioned by VicUrban to create Reed Vessel as part of the Melbourne Docklands Urban Art Program.

The spokeperson said that a stronger epoxy adhesive and a number of screws were used to secure the new castings to prevent them from “going missing” again.

The stainless steel elements of the walkway decking and the aluminium louvres were cleaned and several walkway boards were attached with new fittings.

The stainless steel was also re-pacified, which means that any contaminants, which could cause corrosion, were removed and a chromium oxide layer, which protects steel from corrosion, was re-established.

The repair and maintenance work cost $3140. Virginia King was paid $840 for the new castings and a professional sculpture conservator was paid $2300 for the repairs and major cleaning.