One of Coonamble's busiest artists was recently recognised with a huge compliment - with his work being shortlisted for inclusion in Sydney's Vivid Festival 2024.

The designs by Kevin (Sooty) Welsh formed part of a collaboration with Nicholas Tory of Ample Projects, who have successfully co-ordinated art installations for the Vivid Festival since its inception.

Based in Sydney, Ample Projects is a collective of "artists, designers and technologists" who create public art and experiences within urban environments.

Their proposal was entitled Scarred, "a re-imagining of Sooty’s mark-making art practice, in the form of three iconic light pillars, inscribed with three of Sooty’s original artworks as pixels of light, woven onto a steel and alloy framework."

The pillars would be manufactured in coloured neon and stand 3 to 4 metres high.

It took three months for Mr Tory to compile the presentation, which included not just conceptual artworks but detailed technical specifications to allow manufacturing, transport and installation as well as meeting international engineering standards.

One of the concept images presented to the Vivid organisers for consideration. IMAGE: Ample Projects

"It was very culturally relevant to NSW," Mr Tory told the Coonamble Times. "Not only is the visual language strong and masterful, it is representative of a tradition that has been practised for millennia.

"What Sooty does is quite rare, not many aboriginal artists in NSW are working in carved markings.

"Out of courtesy we presented it to the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land council and they absolutely loved it and gave it their blessing," he said.

Nathan Moran, MLALC CEO, commented on the proposal.

"His feeling was that so many First Nation Public Art projects in New South Wales use dot painting, or other non culturally or regionally relevant visual motifs, they don’t speak with a visual language from the traditional clans and country of NSW. This is what makes Sooty’s Scarred proposal significant."

A scar tree in western NSW. IMAGE: State Library of NSW

Sooty said that the invitation to participate was "fully unexpected" and that he was excited to have the opportunity.

"My work is inspired by traditional dendroglyphs, the secondary scarring on trees that is used at burial sites, the more significant the person was in the tribe the more trees they would have."

While his chosen medium is usually ceramics, Sooty has also contributed designs for textiles and other objects, but illuminated art is another matter and certainly nothing of this scale.

"For us, he has with pen and ink on paper created a wrapping design for our light sculptures," Mr Tory said.

"It is not cheap to create large scale artworks like this."

Artist Kevin (Sooty) Welsh.

Unfortunately, it seems that the price tag may have beaten them in the end - the proposal did not make the final cut for the 2024 Vivid showing.

"I am disappointed but having made the shortlist is pretty good," Sooty said. "Plus the Metro Lands Council have now seen it and know of me."

“It is unfortunate but there’s always next year.”

"It is very disappointing," Mr Tory said. "It was three months of work, but when an idea is good and you believe in a project you have to take a punt."

Both men have hinted that they are exploring other ways of using Sooty's mark-making in a dramatic illuminated format.

"Hopefully we can find a way to bring the project to life in a different context," Mr Tory said.