Sunshine Coast Daily, Australia – 12 hours ago
12:00a.m. 3 September 2014
| By Sam Benger
Two hundred bird of paradise flowers and 40 square metres of palm fronds covered Noosa Bain Beach yesterday , and from the air it seemed a flock of swallows was about to land.
The artistic masterpiece – an installation using sacred geometry and indigenous mythology in the shape of swallows – was created by local artists Tom Kneische and Michael Richards on Saturday.
The pair toiled for nine hours over the massive artwork, which covered most of the beach, and yesterday their hard work paid off as they witnessed their creation from the air.
Michael said although swallows were not found in Noosa, the symbolic significance of the birds, which represent fertility, regeneration, purity and good fortune, made them the perfect choice to welcome spring.
“Many European and tribal cultures venerate the swallow as a symbol of springtime because of its annual return,” he said.
He said the ephemeral piece – which would be de-constructed today – had captured the attention of all who visited Noosa’s main beach on the weekend.
“The response has been really good and there has been a lot of interest in the significance of the design – some people think it’s for a wedding, but once we explain it to them they understand why we’ve created it,” he said.
Michael said they had created the artwork as a gift to Noosa and it was p important following the damage caused by the floods in the region.
“Because of the storm damage we had to relocate it, and initially it was going to be slightly bigger, but we’ve adjusted it to suit the location and allow people access on to the beach,” he said.
He said the council and lifeguards had helped ensure the installation would not be swept away overnight.
The pair’s next project will be creating a similar design at Bondi Beach, in Sydney.
