‘Eyrie’ is the name for a large nest of an eagle or other bird of prey, often built high on a cliff or in a tree. Bronwyn Oliver’s Eyrie is built high on the north-eastern wall of the Intercontinental Hotel. The copper and bronze sculpture appears to float above the walkway that links North Terrace to the River Torrens and Elder Park. Three large eggs are visible inside. According to Oliver, the work symbolises a resting place.
“I think about sculpture as a kind of physical poetry.”
Oliver was born in New South Wales in 1959. While her early works were made of fibreglass and paper, later works were defined by her turn to metal wire. Oliver produced 290 artworks by hand in a labour-intensive process of brazing and soldering. Completed in 12 months and unveiled in 1994, Eyrie reflects Oliver’s fascination with copper in particular. Light and space add dimensions to the work, casting shadows and forming patterns that are as important as the physical boundaries of the sculptural form.
