General News
28 August, 2023
Talbot landmarks inspires artworks
Talbot residents will no doubt have noticed unique artworks of the town’s historic buildings cropping up, but the man who makes them might even be more interesting than his bas-relief works. Bernie Crumpler is an 81-year-old former builder...
Talbot residents will no doubt have noticed unique artworks of the town’s historic buildings cropping up, but the man who makes them might even be more interesting than his bas-relief works.
Bernie Crumpler is an 81-year-old former builder, bricklayer, engineer, farmer, heritage tram restorer and member of the Air Force.
He moved to Talbot 14 years ago with his wife and started creating artistic sculptures at home, making everything from Homer Simpson, Winston Churchill and even a Sphinx using odds and ends found in his backyard.
Bernie admits he’s never been one to do the same thing for too long, which might explain his latest endeavour — bas-relief sculptures of Talbot’s historic buildings.
“I can only do one job for a couple of years, I’ve always got to be doing something different,” he said.
“I’ve never been able to just sit around and do nothing, I’ve always got to be working on something.”
A style of sculpture where the projection from a supporting background is shallow, Bernie’s bas-relief works create an almost 3D image of Talbot’s iconic buildings.
Impressive to look at, the sculptures are made largely from concrete, paint and some odds and ends from Bernie’s backyard.
“When I moved to Talbot I came with a lot of rubbish and we bought a place with a lot of rubbish on it, the things you hang on to because you might use them one day,” he said.
“I go to bed and think about what I’m going to do the next day, I get an idea of what I want and then my mind starts wandering around the back yard and the bits and pieces I can use.
“I’ve been doing a good thing for our carbon footprint, I found ways to use those bits and pieces I had at home in my sculptures.”
Bernie has completed sculptures of the Talbot Post Office, Court House Hotel, fire station and old police station in the few months he’s been doing this for, donating the sculptures to each building.
He said it captures the town’s history and, hopefully, will bring a few more faces through the streets.
“The whole town is a museum, the buildings are basically all from the 1800s,” he said.
“Doing these pictures encourages people to come to the area which is a good thing.
“When I’ve walked into the buildings I’ve made sculptures of, the post office and pub, they’ve been really happy with what I’ve come up with.”
Talbot Court House Hotel owner Barry Ross said he was taken back when Bernie came in and presented his work, an act of kindness he said that showcases Talbot’s community spirit.
“I had never seen Bernie before, he walked in one day and said he was a sculptor and had something for me if I was interested,” he said.
“I was sort of taken back, for him to do that off his own back is unreal and to give it away without wanting anything in return, it’s the sort of kindness you don’t see every day of the week.
“People like Bernie are million-dollar people, they really are — I’m very lucky to live in such a great community like Talbot.
“This is going to take pride of place in the pub, I’m sure everyone who’s been given one feels the same way I do, they’re absolutely beautiful.”
