The Process

Sketches and reference material are essential to achieving the correct scale.

The size of the frame was found by subtracting the approximate thickness of the driftwood 'cladding' from the final scaled dimensions.

To reduce the weight when lifting and positioning the skinks, their bodies were covered in only the first layer of driftwood. the heads, legs and tail were then attached in situ.

The heads were assembled and temporarily attached to ensure they could be positioned in situ.

Lifting the bodies and positioning them on the facade proved tedious to say the least. 

The frame was designed with a single length of timber undderneath so it could slide into position between two rails attached to the facade. a rope over a block was tied to the tractor so we could slide them up the rails, while man-power helped keep them on track. Cheers to all the legends that put their bodies on the line!

Once firmly attached, we began assembling the heads, legs and tails.

The head of the left skink was finished with all layers of driftwood including the scales prior to installing as it was the hardest to access in situ.

With the cherry picker in high demand, most elevated work happened at night while most else was accessed from the back of a truck or by scaffold.

Attaching the legs and final layers of driftwood markedd a significant stage of the build. we could finaly feel them coming to life. all while the lights were being set-up and the projectionists began testing.

The layer of 'scales' were cross sectional cuts of dritwood. Some were left raw while others were stained black and positioned to show the striations native to the kahurangi skink.

Completing these monsters was extremely rewarding. blood, sweat and many sleepless nights finally paid off.

A massive thankyou to the festival for letting my creativity run wild. An even bigger thankyou to everyone who helped along the way - especially Aaron and George who endured my stresses and stuck it out every step of the way.