Michael Sofoulis Available

This piece is the story of early machinery, of cogs and wheels, of ingenuity and problem-solving. This is a piece of my life, of my passions, of telling a story and how to honour found objects as items of beauty and value.

 I find the vastness and variation of the Goldfields scenery mesmerising and intoxicating. Yalgoo, where these gears were found, is a fascinating location. The twin industries of gold mining and pastoral stations have co-existed here from the 1890s.

This is not a forgiving country. Both industries are reliant on water. The search, discovery and ability to access water were the keys to survival for men, animals and machines. Windmills became one of the symbols of the preservation and maintenance of life.

The windmill gears are cast iron. The rest of the materials are recycled – the bent rods were used to “tie” two-tonne steel bundles that were used in boiler making. The frame is constructed with material used to package agricultural headers being imported from the United States. Most of my works have two distinct sides. “Gears” is no exception.

My sculptures are designed to be viewed from different angles to gain full appreciation. You may need to move around to get the light and shadows just right.  I hope you enjoy spending a few minutes looking at “Gears”.

Material is mild steel, recycled metal and cast iron

Weight 65 Kg Approx

Size 790mm high x 1080 mm wide