St Mary MacKillop College has unveiled a new sculpture of Mary MacKillop this week in front of their new gymnasium joining primary and secondary campuses. Sculptor Linda Klarfeld came over from Sydney to supervise installation of her artwork, which depicts Mary MacKillop as a young woman reading a letter as she walks.
This is not the first sculpture of Mary MacKillop created by Klarfeld, whose bronze sculpture of Mary as an elderly woman is installed at the Australian Catholic University in Sydney. She has also sculpted Pope John Paul II for the World Youth Day monument at Parramatta Cathedral, as well as Dr Victor Chang and many other public and religious figures in installations around Australia.
Linda Klarfeld says she feels a strong connection to Mary MacKillop, and can relate to Mary both personally and professionally. “She was this lone, determined woman driven by a sense of mission and call - who in a way was a career-minded person. At the time such an idea must have seemed crazy”. In her role as a young sculptor starting out in what was a male-dominated field, Linda needed to be goal-focused, and have great personal belief and persistence. In spite of the scepticism and opposition, Linda persisted and as a result is now a highly esteemed and much sought after artist who produces beautiful works that enrich the heart and soul.
The College plans to add a bronze sculpted young girl and boy and Mary’s pet Australian terrier, Bobs, into the artwork at a later date which will provide unique elements for students to relate to and interact with.
“Everyone’s interaction with art is very personal, so it was important to get to know the place,” Linda said, when she first visited the College in November last year to observe the environment and get a feel for where the artwork would be located.
When asked if the visit had changed her approach, she said she realised that she would need to take care not to make the installation too ‘heavy’ or formal. “This is a very uplifting environment, so I wanted the artwork to reflect that lightness of spirit.”
Through the sculptures she has created, Linda has witnessed the real affection and devotion people and communities have towards St Mary MacKillop.
“People actually love her, they really do, and you can see it when they come to the statue. You can see that relationship and her presence transforms the people and the surrounds.”
Linda has recently been commissioned to create portrait busts of Tony Abbott and Malcolm Fraser for the Ballarat Prime Ministers’ Wall. Her art can be viewed on her website
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