Sculptor Grant’s endless challenge
Gherang sculptor Grant Finck loves being driven by his endless curiosity and inclination to evolve his craft.
“I’m never quite satisfied, there is always room for improvement,” Grant says.
“I never step back from a finished work and say ‘well done Grant’. I’m always challenging myself and looking for chances to grow and learn.
“If I stop learning I’ll lose interest, and if I thought I’d made the perfect piece that would be it I reckon – it would be over for me.
“There’s a never-ending stream of work to be done and ideas to be created.”
Grant’s journey of discovery as a professional artist reaches across almost 50 years, working with materials ranging from ceramics and resin to steel and bronze.
His work ranges from fine ceramic pieces to large commissioned public installations, including the glowing green five-metre-tall Reunion sculpture at Laverton Railway Station, and the purple Flux sculpture in Geelong West Town Hall’s Pakington Street forecourt.
“There are a few dotted around Melbourne, and a few in regional Victoria as well,” Grant says.
He describes his works as bold, organic and sensuous.
“And I try to instil them with some sense of humanity with a combination of form, colour and texture all coming together,” he says.
Grant relocated from Anglesea to his Fire Tail Studio in Gherang 15 years ago, and on 2 and 3 August will join hundreds of artists opening their creative spaces to visitors as part of the Surf Coast Arts Trail.
“Come and have a cup of tea!” Grant says.
“I love the way the Trail helps artists make contact with the broader community and people are able to come out and see what we do, and for us to be part of something that integrates the arts into the community.
“I really enjoy having a chance to talk one-to-one with Trail visitors and share some of my inspirations and methods.
“I suppose being in visual arts can be quite a solitary existence, most days I’m on my own in the studio, and it’s a great opportunity to crack that habit and reach out a little bit.
“Sales are nice, but they are not a big part of it for me. Really it’s a chance to make contact and develop relationships.”
Grant encouraged Trail visitors to give plenty of thought to planning itineraries for the weekend, given the scope of talents and mediums to be on show across the shire.
Visit surfcoastartstrail.com.au during July for details on artists participating in the 2025 Arts Trail, and start planning your Trail weekend with our new online map.