Mt Barker is a town of less than 3000 people, situated about 50km north of Albany in Western Australia. Make your way through town and down a road that seems to be heading into the bush, and you come across a couple of large sheds. Everything looks normal until you spot an extra-large corkscrew and a set of dominoes being held up by tiny red people. That’s when you realise you’re onto something unique.
George and Sue Corke have been running the Corkescrew Gallery for 19 years. Did you get the play on the name Corke? As you go past a giant mousetrap and into the gallery, you’re already getting a clue that you’re in for a surprise. Sure enough, when you’re inside, the surprises begin and keep on coming.
George told me that even at school, he had wanted to try his hand at something artistic but didn’t get the chance until late in life. Now his gallery, and indeed, the whole yard, is filled with amazing pieces of art, usually created with George’s signature media, steel and wood. From a giant octopus to a beautiful piece of sheoak being rolled out through an old mangle, which itself was made with re-purposed steel, George’s art makes you stop in your tracks.
A traditional telephone box that has been built from scratch, an old truck that George still uses to drive around town, and a giant piece of barbed wire hanging from the ceiling, all capture the attention of anyone visiting the Corkescrew Gallery. This is definitely worth a visit, and to get a taster, check out my video.
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