BigBoysToys – Art and Motorsport

Published on 26 November 2019

The Burnie Regional Art Gallery will present BigBoysToys, an exhibition of sculpture by Melbourne artist Eamon O’Toole to be opened by Tasmanian Motorsport Hall of Fame Inductee, Bruce Gowans on Friday 6 December at 6pm. 

Created out of hand-moulded plastic, enamel, aluminium foil, texta and more, O’Toole has turned his passion for cars, motorcycles and racing into an artform. His Repco Brabham BT-19 “The Old Nail” was shown in 2016 at REVHEAD in Ipswich, Queensland and at the NGV Ian Potter Melbourne, as well as Cairns and other galleries around Australia, but never before in Tasmania. The Ute and Old Nail will both be included in the Burnie exhibition plus other sculptures including Blundstone Boots, Bessie Clamps, and a stack of rims – basically enough to fill a shipping container. The exhibition will also highlight a series of motorsport images from Bruce Smart.  

Burnie City Council Mayor Steve Kons said “This is the last big exhibition opening of the 2019 Gallery calendar and it should be a lot of fun. Eamon O’Toole’s exhibition will pay homage to the artist’s life-long passion for all things motorsport, and to many iconic machines of speed which he has re-created as scale replicas. O’Toole continues the tradition of “making do” and his artworks are sure to appeal to the motorsport enthusiast and the backyard tinkerer. 

“The racing fraternity of the North West is a close knit group and we have had great support from Bruce Gowans, photographer Bruce Smart and from SeaRoad Shipping to get this exhibition to Burnie.”  

Both Eamon O’Toole and Bruce Smart will be present at the opening. Admission is free but please RSVP by contacting the gallery on 6430 5875 or [email protected].  

Bruce Smart’s mounted (unframed) photographs will be for sale to raise funds for Friends of BRAG projects. The Friends will also have a cash bar available on the night. 

The exhibition will be in place until Monday 27 January 2020. The Burnie Regional Art Gallery is open free to the public from 10am to 4.30pm weekdays and from 1.30pm to 4pm weekends and public holidays.  

Stay up to date with events and public programs that support exhibitions on the Gallery’s social media pages. 

The Burnie Regional Art Gallery is a Burnie City Council initiative and is assisted through Arts Tasmania by the Minister for the Arts. 

For further information and images please contact: 

Regional Art Gallery Director  

P 03 6430 5874 [email protected]