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Corten steel, 160 x 60 x 60cm
Acquired 2007
‘Head (on a Plinth)’ is part of a broader series in which John Kelly isolates and reconfigures the stylised kangaroo head taken from the well-known Australia Council logo. Presented without its body, the form becomes abstract and ambiguous, inviting a closer reading of shape and silhouette. Set on a simple plinth, the work stands as a compact yet commanding presence within the landscape.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
John Kelly
John Kelly is an internationally recognised Australian artist whose practice spans sculpture, painting and public art. His work often reinterprets familiar cultural symbols, reframing them with wry humour and a critical eye. Kelly is known for his distinctive ability to merge historical reference, national identity and conceptual investigation into a unified visual language.
Kelly’s practice is grounded in a deep interest in how national myths and institutional imagery shape public perception. Drawing on motifs such as the Australia Council logo or William Dobell’s wartime papier-mâché cows, he disassembles and recontextualises these icons to expose the absurdities and contradictions embedded within them. His sculptures, often fabricated in bronze or corten steel, combine elegance of form with conceptual sharpness, encouraging viewers to reconsider symbols they may otherwise overlook.
SELECTED CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Exhibited widely across Australia, Europe and the United Kingdom
Known for the celebrated Dobell’s Cows series, installed in major public collections
Multiple public artworks across Ireland, England and Australia
Work held in significant national and international institutions, including the National Gallery of Victoria
KELLY AT MONTALTO
Montalto’s sculpture Head (on a Plinth) forms part of Kelly’s ongoing examination of symbolism and cultural branding. Created in 2005 and acquired by the estate in 2007, the corten steel work aligns closely with the artist’s broader practice of deconstructing and challenging official imagery. Positioned within the open landscape, its compact scale invites intimate viewing while maintaining an assertive sculptural presence against the vineyard horizon.
FURTHER INFORMATION
