Stunning sculptures on display at Queenstown’s Millbrook Resort
Three stunning bronze sculptures by world renowned artist Mackenzie Thorpe have been installed at Queenstown’s five-star
Millbrook resort.
The monumental sculptures, entitled ‘On the Bench’, ‘Lean on Love’ and ‘Skipping’, have taken pride of place outside
Millbrook’s historic Millhouse, where guests and visitors are drawn to their sheer size, scale and simplicity.
They are more than 4m high and weigh about 500kg each, and are said to symbolise the special bond of love and
friendship, the importance of self-reflection and individual triumphs.
Thorpe is one of Britain’s most collectable and best-loved contemporary artists, with his sculptures selling for up to
$300,000 each.
The three monumental sculptures were on show in Auckland earlier this year, and have only been exhibited twice before in
the world.
Millbrook’s opportunity to show the work came as a result of the work of Millbrook country club member Guy Pope-Mayell,
who realized that the works would be in storage for some months before heading to Australia on a world tour and took
advantage of the opportunity.
Mr Pope-Mayell, General Manager of Christchurch company Cookie Time, manages the Cookie Munchers’ Charitable Trust,
which supports the Dyslexia Foundation of New Zealand.
Thorpe is dyslexic and struggled to learn at school, told he would never amount to much.
All of the works are for sale, and a percentage of all sales will go to the Cookie Muncher’s trust.
The installation of the sculptures during the week of the New Zealand Golf Open is aimed at stimulating interest for an
exhibition at Millbrook of original Thorpe pastels, which have been created specifically for the New Zealand market.
The exhibition will be in the Millhouse Conference Centre at Millbrook with an official launch for invited guests on the
evening of December 31. It will then be on show to members of the public from New Year’s Day to January 6.
The significant exhibition of Mackenzie’s work will include 15 original pastels, a mixture of serigraphs and prints, a
number of small resin sculptures and a few larger bronze sculptures. The works are all for sale through Fisher Galleries
and range in value from $3,000 up to $60,000.
The exhibition will also include an audio visual presentation about Mackenzie, about his art, and about dyslexia in New
Zealand.
The sculptures will be on show until the end of February.
The sponsors of the programme are Millbrook, Fisher Galleries, Morgan & Pollard, and Peter Baker Transport, with any funds raised going to the dyslexia foundation.
Millbrook General Manager Jan Hunt said she resort was absolutely thrilled to have the Mackenzie Thorpe sculptures on
show, and was looking forward to the exhibition.
“The initial reaction of guests and visitors to the works, even in the first couple of days since they were installed,
has been amazing,” she said.
“People are really identifying with the artist’s vision and the dyslexia cause, which we are proud to support, and
they’re leaving Millbrook enriched as a result.”
ENDS