The Extraordinary Mr Will Coles

Sydney based artist and sculptor Will Coles is an absolute favourite of ours. The magic of his art for me is the objects themselves, the idea attached to it, PLUS the quirky hunt for the sculptures. You never know where you just might find one!

 
Born in Warwickshire, England in 1972, Will's website says he "grew up in the Suffolk countryside and spent several years in London and Glasgow before moving to Sydney, Australia."

His grandfather, Norman Sillman, is a sculptor allowing Will ready access to art and art theory. Further experience was gained at the Ravensbourne College of Art, Wimbledon School of Art and the Glasgow School of Art.

Even though the sculptures are interesting visually, the product is less important than the ideas and thoughts they try to generate. Will's sculptures 'ask' you to stop and think about things such as consumerism, our individual purpose in life, our wastefulness, our adherence to an unsustainable way of life.

Will has written:

"Think, about the waste of every day life, of the things you throw away as waste, of the life you throw away doing something you hate, of wasting your life away.

"Think, about a better way of living, a better way of life, maybe doing something else, somewhere else."

Thank you Will Coles for giving me the pleasure of your public art!

Cheers,
J in JAM