Hidden Brisbane: Chainsaw Sculptures

Sculpture Matty G – photograph June Perkins

Sculpture Matty G – photograph June Perkins

When you look up
you will see
attached to the trunk
a giant gecko.

When you look around
carved in a tree stump
a kangaroo;
hours of chainsaw artistry
not to take a tree down
but to adorn or transform it
to art about nature;
to make you want to connect
with the creatures
that live there;
leave the world of your phone
as you walk
with nature converse.

Now look
there’s a real possum hiding there
bounding out when you notice it
saying, ‘remember you saw me
you don’t need to take
a photo of me with your phone.’

Thankyou Matty G
for your clever artistry;
Thankyou Far North Queensland
for making me always want to look up
down and out…

2/05/2015

(c) June Perkins

Research reveals that the two chainsaw sculptures above are done by  Matthew George, a Queensland creative chainsaw artist.

You can find out more about the reasoning behind the project here  Chainsaw Art at QUT’s Kelvin Grove. 

The main idea of the sculptures is to connect the viewer (most likely a student) back with nature, and to encourage them to look up, and at the ground, rather than stick to their mobile phone.

They certaintly captured my eye.  After seeing two I knew there should be more and my curiousity was lit and I went off on a web search.

I love making discoveries of real animals, but these art ones were also intriguing.  Some even looked freshly done.

The other day when I was looking around QUT, I noticed a real live possum!  It was staring at people wandering past, and was a gingery colour.

So far I have just found two chainsaw sculptures, but there are a few more hanging around the campus.

For even more information see Matty G Inc.

(c) June Perkins

First published as Hidden Brisbane: Chainsaw Sculptures at Ripple Poetry