King "Temple gate"

Inge KING

Germany born 1918 moved to Australia 1951

Temple gate. 1977

steel, aluminium, synthetic polymer paint

3.78 (h) x 21.2 (l) x 1.63 (d) m

Purchased 1977

Location:

. Whilst not looking like the traditional entrance to a Japanese shrine, the work does captures something of the spirit of the 'tori', the mythical, long tailed, red rooster which traditionally uses the torii gate as a perch. This free spirited rooster, or tori, may return to its perch on the gate, at any time.

The uptilted plane of the horizontal element of this sculpture is also meant to reflects the soaring lines of the roofs of some Japanese temples. When the viewer walks around and through this sculpture, the planes and relationships change constantly, between the solid and the void, and between the vertical and the horizontal.

Throughout Japan there are several different forms of torii gate and temple roof, depending on the religious purpose of the sanctuary. Excellent examples of several types can be seen at the Itsukushima Shrine near Hiroshima. This complex of temples and torii gates was built between 1241 and 1602 AD.

The sculptor regards steel as particularly suited to the Australian landscape. When making a sculpture, King says that she enjoys working out the angles and then bolting the fabricated sections together.

Steel is a readily available material which is durable and relatively easy to maintain. Like several of the steel sculptures in the Grounds, this sculpture has been painted with a coat of black paint. Paint stabilises the surface and prevents rust.