Ancient Range Floating
Peter BLIZZARD
Australia 1940 – 2010
Ancient range floating 2003
Stone, steel
After completing formal studies at Prahran College of Advanced Education and later at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Blizzard worked initially as an engineering draftsman and graphic designer until 1970 when he was able to focus full-time on sculpture.
Based for many years in regional Victoria, Blizzard often cited a deep attachment to his local environment – native bushland – as a prevailing influence on his work. Japanese art and culture were also prime influences on his sculpture and personal outlook.
This latter influence is seen in Ancient range floating, an austere structure like a kind of shrine reflecting Blizzard’s familiar tiered composition – here vaguely architectural in character and supported on massive foundation stones. A single, smoothly finished round stone is enclosed within a rectangular casement above a curvilinear section suggestive of a rolling landscape. The title refers to the upper section of rocks sourced from an ancient mountain range. It also refers to the jagged ‘horizon line’ formed by this same row of stacked stones.