2012 Corten Construction with Owl and Moon

Starting in 2008 Dibble began working with Corten steel. This he added as a series of stylised gateways, tree structures and perches onto which the modelled bronze components were attached.

The contrast of the materials is part of what makes these works so interesting. The prefabricated perfect squares and angles of the Corten are a foil for the expressive round surfaces of the bronze, rolling and sensuously shaped. The colourings of the two surfaces set up an interesting dialogue. The Corten’s rust-red, rust normally an ugly discoloration is here appreciated for its flat colouring, offsets the patina on the bronze which is dripped and sloshed in gestural application. Together it is a sophisticated stylistic juxtaposition.

Dibble’s birds act as points to mark places in space. The small birds look as if they are the ubiquitous urban birds that nest in city trees, while the owl gazes down, a wise creature as if guardian to a landscape below. The owl calls to mind, for Dibble, a sense of home and belonging. Raised on a farm in Waitakaruru in the Hauraki Plains, the name translates as “where the owl sits on the water”, becoming part personal icon of the artist.