Danny Ivanovski is a 26-year-old Figtree artist who welded together old exhaust pipes then heated them to 500° Celsius to make them look like burnt branches. The result is Memorial for Black Summer, six steel, tree-like forms that reflect the sunlight in petrol-like colours at Wollongong Botanic Garden.

Danny has a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Honours) from the University of Wollongong and is currently studying for a Master in Teaching. Memorial for Black Summer is his first entry in Sculpture in the Garden. 

As the show entered its final weekend, Danny kindly took the time to answer some questions.

Please tell us about your sculpture and how it was made.

Memorial for Black Summer pays homage to the 2019-2020 black summer bushfires that ravaged NSW.

Six tree-like forms are fabricated of stainless-steel half-pipe exhaust tubes representing 5.8 million hectares of landscape burnt in NSW. The names of 119 threatened animal species, 486 threatened plant species, the 23 identified victims, 29 fire events and 219 towns affected are engraved onto each sculptural piece respectively.

I fabricated the work by cutting muffler exhaust tubes to the intended length and welding them together using stainless steel arc welding. In some cases, I heated the joins to a hot enough temperature to bend the angles.The welds are ground back to produce a seamless form.

The surface was polished with a smooth-disk angle grinder and hand polished to a smooth finish.

Each piece was heated up to approx. 500° C to darken the surface in a bronze, blue and purple hue to give the aesthetic of burnt tree branches.

In situ, the temperature of the stainless steel heats to high temperatures which reflect the hot surface of trees after a bushfire.

Working with stainless steel was ideal as it can endure the elements of nature with a slow to minimal rust rate. It is a pure metallic medium that fits in with the concept of a memorial. The properties of stainless steel allow me to engrave into the surface  seamlessly without rusting over the engraving over time.

Each form is secured to a hand-made structure manufactured of square steel tubing under the soil for stability.

What inspired your work?

Climate change and caring for our natural world is an area of great passion and concern. I created this work as an opportunity for members of the public to reflect on this disaster so we may better care for the natural world. Out of this tragedy, the regeneration of the landscape gives hope of renewal.

Any challenges in the process, and how did you overcome these?

As an artist working in drawing, photography, painting and sculpture, this was my first time working with stainless steel. It is a more temperamental medium compared to mild steel. This took a great deal of experimentation and self-learning to achieve the aesthetic that I envisioned and achieved in this work.

Overall, this work took 3.5 months to complete.

What has being part of Sculpture in the Garden meant to you?

It is a great privilege to exhibit in Sculpture in the Garden 2023 with many respected and talented artists, and working with supportive team members of this exhibition.

As a young 26-year-old artist, this opportunity provided the avenue to further my artistic development to pursue my dream of becoming a professional artist. I thank Sculpture in the Garden for this opportunity.

The gardens provide the space for visitors to reflect on the black summer bushfire tragedy in a safe haven for our local biodiversity.

What's next?

I am currently in my final year studying a Master of Teaching (Secondary) and will soon be a qualified high school visual arts teacher. I am passionate about helping young people find and develop their creative voice just as my art teachers did for me.

I will continue to pursue my own art practice. Shortly, I will be planning and working towards a Memorial for Black Summer exhibition of sculptures, photographs and drawings that pay homage to this disaster.

I dream that my work Memorial for Black Summer will find a permanent location for the public to reflect on the black summer bushfires and its significance for caring for the natural world.

Don't miss your last chance to see Danny's work at Wollongong Botanic Garden this weekend. Sculpture in the Garden is on until Sunday, April 30.

For updates, follow Danny on Instagram