Art very occasionally engenders a cult following, but Patricia Piccinini’s Skywhale has something akin to art groupies.<\/p>\n
Twitter is littered with “selfies” and sightings of the enormous hot air balloon, a mystical flying whale with 10 mammories that hang down.<\/p>\n
On Monday, at her first scheduled Melbourne outing, one “Skywhalian” arrived wearing paper m\u00e2ch\u00e9 hats with condoms made to look like breasts, others came from Sydney to see her.<\/p>\n
Artist Patricia Pinccinini with her Skywhale hovering above the ACCA forecourt, marking one of the art-beast’s rare public appearances. Photo: Michael Clayton-Jones<\/p>\n
Piccinini also knows of handmade embroidered patches, pies, cakes, toys, posters and sculptures all made in Skywhale’s likeness.<\/p>\n
“She has quite a big family and they come to see her when she comes out,” Piccinini said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
“It is great that people have taken this work and then used it for their own creative endeavours. I am thrilled about that,” she said.<\/p>\n
Skywhale’s first outing at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art was abandoned on Monday due to Melbourne’s windy weather, but on Tuesday she made her first tethered rise from the ground.<\/p>\n
“It is a work that I think is a very hopeful one, and one that brings a lot of joy into people’s lives – as balloons do – they just float in and out of our people’s lives,” Piccinini said.<\/p>\n
She described the work as based on evolution. A natural creature that was totally artificial.<\/p>\n
“I chose a whale because whales were originally land dwelling creatures and they went back into the sea and they became enormous and intelligent,” Piccinini said.<\/p>\n
“They live in really difficult environments, deep into the sea, and they breathe and they breast feed their babies and I thought to myself, if whales could go back into the sea, they could have easily gone into the air.<\/p>\n
“I don’t imagine that this could be a real creature, but it is a sign that says we are surrounded by nature,” she said.<\/p>\n
Up close on Tuesday, Skywhale had a gentle, animal-like tendency to lilt slightly at the head. Her eyes have a little glint, just as other animals do.<\/p>\n
The work was created for Canberra’s centenary celebrations at a cost of $300,000. Engineered in Bristol, the “special shape” balloon is an engineering feat, the balloon’s owner, Global Ballooning director Kiff Saunders said.<\/p>\n
“I am amazed it can fly, really,” Mr Saunders said.<\/p>\n
Hot air fills the body, but cold air is required to ensure the mammary glands hang as they are intended. When she comes down and the hot air-cold air ratio changes, the glands often flail up, creating a funny sight, Mr Saunders said.<\/p>\n
He said Melburnians would see Skywhale in the sky on the next perfect flying morning.<\/p>\n
Retirees Sue and Peter Duras could see Skywhale from their Southbank apartment and were taken with her.<\/p>\n
Mr Duras said the Skywhale’s curves and voluptuousness made a beautiful contrast to the sharp lines of ACCA and the surrounding skyscrapers.<\/p>\n
“It reminds me a little bit of Canberra, large and cumbersome and not terribly useful,” Mrs Duras quipped.<\/p>\n