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Woven reclaimed agricultural fencing wire
40 x 50 x 350cm
Acquired 2017
Sited low within the damp gully of the Sculpture Trail, Fool’s Vessel - Afloat appears as a delicate, skeletal vessel resting lightly in the landscape. The narrow woven form lifts gently at its bow, echoing the contours of a canoe or small boat, yet remains tethered to the earth. The materiality and placement invite quiet reflection as visitors encounter the work emerging from the understorey of ferns and grasses.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Michael Shiell
Michael Shiell is an Australian artist whose practice often explores transformation, material memory and the emotional resonance of reclaimed objects. Working primarily with metal, wire and found industrial remnants, Shiell constructs sculptural forms that sit between fragility and resilience, evoking both human vulnerability and environmental reflection.
Shiell’s work engages deeply with the histories embedded within discarded or weathered materials. His sculptures frequently reference human behaviour, industrial processes and the natural environment, with recurring motifs of vessels, enclosures and skeletal structures. Through patient, labour-intensive techniques such as hand-weaving metal wire, Shiell transforms utilitarian remnants into poetic objects that prompt contemplation of our relationship to climate, land and responsibility.
SELECTED CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Creator of the Fool’s Vessels series, grounded in philosophical allegory and environmental commentary
Extensive practice working with reclaimed industrial materials, particularly woven metal forms
Exhibitions and commissions presented across Australia
Active contemporary sculptor with a portfolio spanning vessels, installations and material-led conceptual works
SHIELL AT MONTALTO
Fool’s Vessel - Afloat was created in 2016 and acquired for the Montalto Sculpture Collection in 2017. The sculpture forms part of Shiell’s broader Fool’s Vessels series, inspired by the ancient allegory of the Ship of Fools, a metaphor for drift, inaction and humanity’s collective blindness toward environmental consequence.
At Montalto, the vessel’s placement within the shaded, seasonally shifting gully heightens its dialogue with water, erosion and renewal. The reclaimed agricultural fencing wire, salvaged after the 2011 Wimmera River floods, underscores the work’s connection to climate, history and resilience.
FURTHER INFORMATION
