Sculptures
Road Kill (2021)
MATERIALS Corten steel
LOCATION 4 Mile Reserve, Lachlan Valley Way (South Condobolin Road), Forbes
People often complain about the damage done to cars after hitting a kangaroo when travelling. Have we ever stopped to think about this from a kangaroo point of view?
We may sustain a dent to the car or broken headlight, while the kangaroo suffers major injuries or worse, loses their life.
Jimmy drew inspiration for ‘Road Kill’ following a trip to Forbes in 2019, at the tail end of a three year drought. The 3.5 tonne reinforced Corten steel plate sculpture, which took six months to construct, depicts a role reversal of a rebellious kangaroo taking its revenge on a busy stretch of road.
“What I noticed during my travels was two things; how dry it was and how many kangaroos lay dead on the side of the road. From this, ‘Road Kill’ was born. I started to think about how wild animals follow tracks, like the ones we drive on and what if, a huge similar construction of similar scale was placed in our path, what would the impact be.”
“I hear people complaining how they hit a kangaroo and the damage it did to their vehicle, but the poor kangaroo gets seriously injured, often losing their life. I try to place myself in the kangaroo’s mind and what it would do to this menace in return. It would smash it with a cricket bat, of course!” - Jimmy Rix.
About the Sculptor
Jimmy Rix (Malmsbury, VIC)
Jimmy Rix’s sculptures often relate to personal experiences and familiar objects. Having lived within both natural and farmed Australian landscapes throughout his life, rebellious kangaroos, machine-horse hybrids, playful sheep and utilitarian objects have inevitably been cast as the actors of his narrative-based works. In these sculptures a sense of humour, an engagement with Australiana, an interest in scale and a concern for the environment are often the underlying themes and inspiration.
His ability to envision and execute enormous works in steel has led to Rix receiving many impressive public sculpture commissions and inclusions into a large number of outdoor exhibitions. Jimmy has a history of exhibiting with Sculpture by the Sea, Sculpture on the Edge, Lake Lights Sculpture Prize and Hillview Biennial.
Jimmy is represented by Australian Galleries.