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Stephen Harrison\u2019s winning photograph of Contemplation by Icelandic artist Steinunn Th\u00f3rarinsd\u00f3ttir on the Alpine Ash Walk in Bago State Forest. Photo: Stephen Harrison.<\/p>\n
A photograph of a solitary figure in a Snowy Valleys forest will take Murrumbateman\u2019s Stephen Harrison to Sydney to join the professional photography team at the renowned Sculpture by the Sea exhibition at Bondi.<\/p>\n
Stephen won the 2026 Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail Winter Photo Competition with his image of Contemplation, by Icelandic sculptor Steinunn Th\u00f3rarinsd\u00f3ttir, on the Alpine Ash Walk in Bago State Forest.<\/p>\n
For Stephen, spotting the mysterious, solitary figure among the forest\u2019s ancient trees was one of those great moments walking a trail in nature and noticing something off the track.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can be scary and comforting at the same time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He said he valued sculpture\u2019s stillness, silence and presence.<\/p>\n
\u201cYet stopping and listening, you realise the sculpture is the only quiet thing: a multitude of bird sounds are all around.\u201d<\/p>\n
The figure\u2019s placement also invited questions about why it was there and why its arms were folded.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou contemplate it, which just happens to be the title of this enigmatic figure,\u201d Stephen said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe piece is a wonderful blend of nature and humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephen\u2019s response echoes the artist\u2019s own thinking about the work.<\/p>\n
Th\u00f3rarinsd\u00f3ttir says Contemplation is based on her son but is deliberately androgynous, capturing a pause just before or after something happens.<\/p>\n
She describes the figure as being in silent conversation with its surroundings, echoing the forest\u2019s colour, texture and mood, and reflecting her belief that humans are part of nature.<\/p>\n
Competition judge David Handley, the Sculpture by the Sea\u2019s founding CEO and artistic director, said Stephen\u2019s photograph stood out for the way it captured Contemplation within the forest landscape.<\/p>\n
He said the sculpture looked at home among the trees, with the composition drawing the viewer along the path towards the figure.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful example of how photography can capture not only a sculpture, but its relationship with the environment around it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Despite visiting the trail only a few weeks earlier, Handley said the photograph made him eager to return.<\/p>\n
The Alpine Ash Walk is reached through Pilot Hill Arboretum, near Batlow. Together, the walk and a site at Laurel Hill form the Sculpture Forest, which opened in Bago State Forest in April 2024.<\/p>\n
The forest collection is part of the broader Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail, established by Sculpture by the Sea in consultation with local communities, in response to the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires to support the region\u2019s recovery and attract visitors.<\/p>\n
The 150-kilometre permanent outdoor collection now features more than 60 sculptures by artists from 17 countries across 14 locations, including Tumut, Adelong, Batlow, Tumbarumba, Talbingo and Tooma, as well as vineyards in the Tumbarumba wine region.<\/p>\n
Now in its third year, the winter photography competition invites entrants to capture the relationships between the artworks and their surroundings.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s open to everyone, from visitors using smartphones to experienced photographers.<\/p>\n
Stephen\u2019s prize includes two nights\u2019 accommodation at Bondi for the opening weekend of Sculpture by the Sea\u2019s 30th-anniversary celebrations.<\/p>\n
He will also spend a paid day behind the camera alongside the exhibition\u2019s professional photography team.<\/p>\n
His winning image will be published by About Regional and Region Riverina and featured in the Head On Photo Festival Foundation\u2019s online magazine.<\/p>\n
Running from 16 October to 2 November, Sculpture by the Sea transforms the two-kilometre Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk into an outdoor gallery, with around 100 sculptures by Australian and international artists displayed against the Pacific Ocean.<\/p>\n
Original Article published by Edwina Mason on About Regional<\/a>.<\/p>\n